5 tips to help start your Organic Lifestyle

We dont really need research to show the benefits of adopting a more organic lifestyle over the conventional one.

Even so, the task of adopting a completely organic lifestyle can be seen as daunting, expensive and just too hard.

Many people who recognise the likely benefits of including organic food and other organic products (think personal care and cleaning products) in their lives can fall by the wayside when they try to embrace the change cold turkey and with no going back.

So why not take baby steps, notice any difference in your health, moods and energy levels and once you have, you'll find you're motivated to go to the next level.

Here's 5 easy steps you can take to embrace more organic-driven habits on a daily basis.

1. START WITH BASIC STAPLES

Food is surely one of the joys of life and consuming food that you have lovingly prepared from garden to table is a great motivator and eye-opener when it comes to seeing exactly what you put in your mouth.

So start with replacing some of your daily or weekly grocery items with more natural alternatives -- lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, prepared as soon as possible after purchase, free range (or preferably organic) eggs from happy hens, free range meat sources if you can locate a producer who provides quality of life for his stock, olive oil and coconut oil that is cold pressed and not subject to chemical extraction processes -- these are some ideas to get you started.

Prepare at least one meal per week (more if you can manage) where you involve the family in the food prep and clean up, giving you a chance to discover and discuss the origin and benefits of the food they are seeing on their plates.

2. VISIT FARMERS MARKETS

Check out your local farmers markets. Get up close and personal with food and personal care and goods producers in your area -- ask them about their produce, what is in season (and therefore at its best), what growing practices they use to bring the produce to market, what is their favorite way of enjoying it.

If you don't have a farmers market close to you then seek out a local organic produce market or an organic produce delivery service. Then challenge yourself to cook the freshest produce that is at its best, and  then you know what you prepare will taste incredibly delicious.

* Heres a great selection of our Farmers Market listed each week for your ease!

 

3. READ YOUR LABELS

Many food items that fill up the grocery cart these days are unrecognizable from what they began as in their raw state -- overly processed, any natural fats they may have started with stripped out and replaced by sugar that can cause addiction, obesity, diabetes and a host of other health and societal issues, and having a shelf life that could possibly outlive a nuclear holocaust -- this is what the majority of the population consumes as a matter of course.

The next time you're at the supermarket, take some time to read the labels and the nutrition panel. 

4. GROW SOMETHING 

You may not have the space for a full blown veggie garden that is bursting with ripe tomatoes, plump lettuces and bulging aubergines -- and if you have, then send in a picture! But anybody can find a window sill that will host a modest small pot of one or two herbs -- try parsley, basil or oregano. You could grow a pot of cherry tomatoes on a balcony, or if you have room for more then there are a lot of veggies that can be grown in tubs and that don't require a proper garden at all. Remember to water them regularly and they will reward you with a burst of real flavour and goodness. If you don't cook, you can snip off some fresh herbs and nibble them as you go about your day -- it's the best vitamin pill you could wish for and probably the most nutrient dense thing you'll consume all day.

5. DON'T BE TOO RIGID

Finally, don't be too gung-ho about your attempts at adopting an organic lifestyle. As I said before, baby steps to build on what you experience, notice and learn about what you consume will promote awareness, wonder and joy in that most basic of items -- your daily food.