Getting Help in the Grocery Store

We can drive ourselves crazy trying to be perfect when it comes to living clean and consuming safe foods. Possibly the biggest stressor is food selection. After spending hours of web research, followed by a four-hour grocery store trip for just 20 items, we realize it’s hard to read every label and make an informed decision.

Is it GMO? Is there sugar, along with how much and in what form? Is it organic? What kind of packaging is it and is it safe? The list of questions goes on and on. Ideally, we would like everything in our life to be organic and clear of toxins, but for most people, this can be a financial, temporal or geographical challenge. Here are a few simple guidelines to reduce some of the stress of food selection.

Avoid all processed foods and those that contain high fructose sugar.

The foods that should be purchased organic are the ones that have an outer skin that is also consumed, including apples, celery, bell peppers, peaches, strawberries, imported nectarines, grapes, spinach, lettuces, cucumbers, domestic blueberries, potatoes, green beans and kale and other greens.

Foods that have the lowest amount of pesticides and are “OK” to buy conventionally include onions, non-GMO sweet corn, pineapples, avocados, cabbages, sweet peas, asparagus, mangos, eggplants, kiwis, cantaloupes, sweet potatoes, grapefruits, watermelons and mushrooms.

Wash the food and clean off pesticides with a special food cleanser, because agricultural pesticides do not come off with water alone. A quick Internet search will reveal commercial products and home recipes using vinegar and other items to make them at home. Or use water at 11.5 pH from a home water treatment system such as Kangen to break down the non-water-soluble chemicals. It’s not a bad idea to do this for the organic foods also, due to possible air contaminants or bacteria.

Dr. Andie Pearson, DMD, CSST, the owner of Gaiamed Dental, in Evanston, has been practicing holistic dentistry for almost 20 years, and incorporates all aspects of a patient’s health into her practice. For more information, call 847-332-1406 or visit HolisticDentalChicago.com.