The Dirty Dozen
One of the topics I find myself talking about more and more often is the "Dirty Dozen.". The "Dirty Dozen" are the top 12 fruits and vegetables that test the highest in pesticide levels. You can read about them here and here and here. I thought it was pretty common knowledge what the dirty dozen were but the more I talk to people about the benefits of eating organically and saying, "Hey, if you're gonna pick some foods to eat organically, go with the dirty dozen for sure" and getting blank stares after saying that, the more I realized, well, it's not so common knowledge. So, here are the top 12 fruits and vegetables you should eat organically, or should I say the 12 worst fruits and vegetables to eat conventionally . . .to put it easily, EAT THESE ORGANICALLY!!!: One of the articles says that "The group estimates that individuals can reduce their exposure by 80% if they switch to organic when buying these 12 foods." (!!!)

1. Strawberries (more to come on these little guys soon!)
2. Apples
3. Blueberries (mostly imported)
4. Nectarines
5. Grapes (mostly imported)
6. Lettuce/Kale
7. Potatoes
8. Celery
9. Bell Peppers
10. Peaches
11. Spinach
12. cherries (domestic)

The interesting thing here is that based on where you look for the dirty dozen, you'll come across different foods. It could be that different articles separate different foods i.e. on some lists spinach/kale/lettuce are all in one category whereas in other articles they're 3 separate items, so the list that combines them would default to the next highest pesticide ridden food, like cherries. The other thing is that the list is supposed to be revised annually based on the most current testing information available.

So, if you can't wrap your head around an overhaul in your refrigerator and pantry from conventional to organic completely, start with the dirty dozen. Because hey, we all have to start somewhere!

Although I have some backtracking to do with how I arrived at where I am today in regards to eating organically and being motivated in researching how to live as healthily as possible, I want to share one of the companies I've been working with to help transition my home to being healthy.

Lifekind is a natural, organic mattress company based out of Grass Valley, CA that is committed to providing organic, natural, and thereby completely non-toxic mattresses, bedding, and other natural living products. I came across Lifekind during my mattress search for Brady. He is 4 1/2 and in the 90th percentile for his height which, still being in a toddler bed sleeping on a baby mattress, translates into feet hanging off the edge while sleeping :) We knew it was time to graduate up to a "big boy bed" and so began my mattress research. Upon researching mattresses I was SHOCKED to learn how many toxic chemicals are used to make the synthetic portions of a mattress as well as making a mattress fire retardant. Toluene, Boric Acid, melamine (which contains formaldehyde), are just a few chemicals used to make mattresses. If you're interest is piqued, read this fascinating article I found while researching before I wrote this post highlights some of the potential risks of having a conventional mattress. Needless to say, I wanted the healthiest option for my 4 year old, knowing his body is growing so quickly which means a high rate of cell growth and division. With putting healthy organic foods into our body being a priority for my family, wouldn't having a safe and healthy place to sleep be a no brainer? For me it was, but making the choice as to where to buy a mattress was difficult. I came across several well rated organic mattress manufacturers while doing my research. Ultimately, I chose Lifekind because their showroom was within driving distance and testing out the various mattresses and levels of softness/firmness was important to me. As it is, we have had to trade in Brady's mattress twice due to firmness issues, but that's where this story gets good! Now, you may balk at the fact that we have had to trade in a new mattress twice, but with 100% natural latex there is natural variation that occurs whereas with synthetic (chemical, artifical based) mattress there is little variation. Personally I would rather have to go through a couple of mattresses to get a perfect fit that is also completely non-toxic. And Lifekind has been wonderful through the whole process. Their customer service is amazing. Sylvia, our sales person and who we've dealt with during the whole process, is wonderful, kind, professional, and beyond helpful. We ordered a medium-firm mattress for Brady and our first mattress arrived a bit too soft. So we called up Sylvia who apologized and immediately put in an order for a medium-firm mattress , personally calling the facility that puts the mattresses together and having them select a medium-firm latex core that was on the firm side of medium-firm. Well, the new one was definitely firm. Too firm. Great for firm mattress sleepers, but definitely not a "medium-firm". So I reluctantly called her back, worrying about causing problems and worrying about her thinking I was one of those crazy, unable to be pleased kind of people (I'm really not!) But she was wonderful. She spent a good part of the day I called, talking with the founder of the company and the head manager at the mattress building factory working on a solution for us. SO, they are building a 3rd custom mattress for us, and all of this has been at no extra charge to us.
So while I write this and Brady is still waiting for his "perfectly medium-firm" mattress to snuggle into each night, I know that this company will ensure that he is sleeping on the perfect mattress. And that kind of customer service is what will bring me back to Lifekind when Andy and I buy our healthy mattress and when we buy Londen's "big boy bed" as well.
To read more about Lifekind's mattresses and about organic mattresses in general, click here

How does one start their first post in a new blog? However I want to I guess, as this is really my sounding board, my "notebook" if you will, for all of the research and inspirational ideas I come across. It is a place to put my thoughts, to put my findings and beliefs so in essence it is my own personal "not-so-personal" journal.

I became inspired to start this journaling process while reading The Prince of Wales' book titled Harmony. Have you ever had a reading experience where you read exactly what you are feeling inside? It's the weirdest thing to read something that someone else has written that "fits" you perfectly.

Anyway, this book Harmony, is essentially about restoring things to a healthier, purposeful, productive, and harmonious state. By "things" I mean the food we eat, the energy we use, the resources we are exhausting. Being on my own personal journey of creating a healthy and wholesome life for my family, this book really hit the mark for me. It echoes the importance of things like organic farming and eating organically and sustainably and the need to begin restoration of our earth's resources instead of continuing to deplete them. It even talks about the importance of spirituality in one's life, something that as a society as a whole we have turned away from and eliminated from our day to day lives. To be honest, I am only about 1/2 way through, but it has inspired, truly inspired me.

So here I am. If you would like to take a look at the reviews or purchase your own copy, you can head over to Amazon and take a look (it's at an amazing 11.99 price for a hardcover right now!). Or, check your local library (like I did!)