The funniest (well, maybe not so funny) thing happened this past weekend while I was in Charleston.

On Saturday, I decided to go to the local book store and browse through a few books and magazines. Before finding myself a comfy chair in the store, I waited on line at the book store café to grab an herbal tea.

Not 2 minutes into my standing on line did I hear this conversation behind me.

“Daddy. I want this chocolate milk”

“Don’t worry about it. You don’t want it.”

Hmmmm…I couldn’t help but wonder why the father would have said that.

I really wanted to go into my Organic Food is Great dissertation. But I decided to keep my comments (and my presentation) to myself. (Even though this took just about all the self control I had).

It almost seemed like this father was afraid of organic food. Could this be possible? Are people afraid that eating one morsel of organic food is going to somehow instantly initiate them into the organic food cult where you’re only allowed to wear sandals made from tree bark and deodorant is prohibited?

I swear I have had people say to me “Well, you can’t be that organic because you wear make-up and you don’t smell.”

What? That’s not what organic means at all! (FYI – I don’t leave the house without mascara or without putting on deodorant, but that’s my personal preference.)

All it means is that the food or the product has been grown the way mother nature intended: without the use of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. In other words, naturally!

Do you think maybe he was afraid of the price? Well, he was actually buying a Red Bull drink, which was much more expensive than the organic milk his son was requesting.

Organic does not automatically mean “break the bank”. Many times when I compare the price of the organic food versus the conventional food, they are only a few cents different. In the case of the bag of organic carrots I bought today for my lunch, they were the exact same price as the conventional ones. Imagine that!

If anything about the word “organic” makes you want to jump and run the other way, be sure to read my previous blog post “My Million Dollar Grocery Bill”

It will help you understand exactly why organic food is all the rave these days and what you can do to make organic living easy, simple and not so scary!

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com

  

Almost every weekend my parents hit the supermarket near my house and then come by for a visit. Not one week goes by without my dad sharing his regular joke: “Whole Foods should really be called Whole Paycheck.” (He’s referring to the fact that his organic groceries are quite pricey).

Let’s face it. Organic foods are great, but they can sometimes run you more money than a new flashy Benz. (Not that both aren’t worth the money, but you would look better in your Mercedes after you bought the organic food).

When I first discovered that organic foods might be the missing link to my weight loss efforts, I had just graduated from college and was living in a miniature apartment in New York City for like a bizzillion dollars that I could barely afford. In other words, I was broke with a capital B. So how in the world was I going to spend the big bucks on organic food? Let alone pay my rent on time?

Here is how I mastered the art of “going organic on a budget”:

1. I stopped buying crappy “non foods” (and, yes, crappy is a scientific term). Most protein shakes, “health” bars, and processed foods are actually pretty expensive and when you completely eliminate them from your grocery list, you will save hundreds of dollars. Stop supporting cookie companies and start supporting your local farmer and I swear the farmer will be cheaper!

2. When I started eating reasonable portions, the food was not that expensive. When I really took a look at how much I was eating and how much I was supposed to be eating, I clearly had mistaken myself for a 200 lb sumo wrestler. I had portion distortion to say the least and eating less meant spending less!

3. I sought out the local farmer’s markets. The prices were so much better and I always got fresh food in season. And, honestly, if the price of cherries was the equivalent of diamond earrings, I would choose a different fruit. Go for the apples, pears, or bananas. Variety is good anyway so choose the fruits and veggies without the diamond prices.

4. I transitioned my kitchen and my whole house slowly. I probably did not have a complete organic kitchen until 3 years later. Not the ideal, but I did the best I could. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was my organic palace. Do the best you can, start with a few items and then go from there.

There’s no material item that comes close to matching “feeling good” about yourself. Take a look at where you’re spending your money now and figure out how to fit organic foods into your budget (even if it’s a slow transition). I promise that if it was doable for me, it’s doable for you too!

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com