My husband and I are what I call "Frick and Frack". He can eat anything - year-old meat, unwashed fruit, raw eggs, it doesn't matter what it is, he does not get sick. As for me, for a long time, if meat was not absolutely fresh, I would spend the night worshipping the proverbial porcelain god. But even now, as someone who is attempting to be vegetarian, I am frustrated with the reactions I am getting from some of the plant-based foods out there. If there are any pesticide or other residues on my fruits and vegetables that have not been entirely removed, I get anything from a mild tummy ache, to the jitters or a headache, to extreme stomach upset. What I have become is a good barometer for whether or not foods are fresh and clean. If they bother me a lot, in other words, they may be bothering you a little. I know that my older son seems to suffer at least a little when I react. So, what foods are the culprits?
Well, as healthy as a nice fresh salad should be, I find that most restaurants either do not use organic produce or simply do not wash their greens very well. Most restaurant salads leave me wishing I had not eaten them. When I eat out, I have to eat my vegetables well-cooked or not at all. I love eating fresh fruit, but grapes that are not washed well, non-organic apples that are unpeeled, and non-organic strawberries in particular can leave me feeling like I have stomach flu. What concerns me is that it wasn't until American grocery stores started getting most of their fruit and vegetables from other countries that I developed these problems. Even a year or so after completing chemotherapy, when I was the most vulnerable, I could eat most restaurant salads and fruit cups with no trouble.
This year, I have joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and can not wait to see what happens when my family and I eat pretty much what we pick up from our farm each week. I will make sure that any fruits or vegetables I need to supplement what the farm provides are organic, preferably purchased at our closest Farmer's Market. The first box arrives late this month. I can't wait to share with you what treasures we find each week and how I will prepare them.
Do let me know if you have experienced any of the sensitivities I mentioned above. I am quite curious and am, frankly, concerned about long-term effects that some of what we "allow" on our produce will have on us and our loved ones. Anyway, until next time, happy and healthy eating!
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