Pesticides on more than just produce.

One of the main arguments for eating organically has to be that they contain less pesticides.  But even if your diet is completely organic, you are still being exposed to those pesticides that you are vigilantly trying to avoid.    

Did you know that over a quarter of Canadians rely on groundwater as their water source?

Water contamination from agricultural practices occurs in various methods, depending on the chemical.  The degree of water contamination also depends on the pesticide's physical and chemical properties, the quantity applied, the weather conditions surrounding the time of spraying, as well as the basin hydrology.

"Water quality guidelines are scientifically determined and indicate the maximum allowable concentration of substances for a particular water use such as livestock watering or swimming. These national guidelines serve as the targets for environmental protection." -Environment Canada

According to Environment Canada, exceeding quality criteria has potential consequences, such as:

• Damage to crops- Irrigation uses water from rivers and lakes to water crops.  When the water source exceeds the quality criteria, the water could damage the crop being irrigated.  
• Bioaccumulation in fish and algae- symptoms include lack of motor coordination, delayed maturation and growth, and reproductive impairment.  

I found out firsthand how pesticides can affect me when I played baseball next to a crop that was being sprayed.  I woke up swollen in hives, and stayed that way for the next three days. (I will note that the rest of my team, as far as I know, didn't react in the same manner, or have any reaction at all.)

Think farmers are all to blame?  Think again.  Golf courses use cocktails of chemicals to keep their greens green and weed/pest free.  Luxecoliving.com posted this article, Golf Courses, Polluting with Pesticides, which discusses the problems posed by pesticide use on golf courses.  It can have affects on golf course employees, as well as users of the course, and people living in the surrounding areas.  

"These pesticides are not only a health danger to workers of golf courses or golfers, but to any nearby areas as well. Runoff and airborne drift carry the pesticides to close by neighborhoods and water sources and “pose health risks, both acute and chronic, from common cold like symptoms, nausea, dizziness, headaches, rashes, to birth defects, learning disabilities, infertility, leukemia, various cancers including brain cancer, breast cancer, [and] non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma”, says Jay Feldman of Beyond Pesticides. “Asthma rates in the U.S. have skyrocketed, and there are studies linking asthma to pesticides that are widely used on golf courses.”- Golf Courses, Polluting with Pesticides.  Luxecoliving.com. 

Are there benefits to eating organic?

When the issue of organic food is raised, there are many differing opinions as to whether or not there are actual health benfits.  Some argue that organic foods are healthier because they aren't grown using pesticides.  Some argue that the nutritional value of organically grown foods are no different than non-organic foods.  I think it's easy to get lost in the hear say, and let your imagination go a little wild.  There has been a lot of contradiction with studies done on the topic of the health benefits of organic foods, and whether the studies were biased or flawed.
This article by Grinning Planet discusses whether there are actual health benefits to eating organic produce.

The main points for organic food:

1. Organic foods contain higher nutrient values
2. Organic produce contains lower pesticide residues
3. Organic foods have little to no additives
4. Organic foods provide better health outcomes (less time healing from injury/sickness, less sickness, etc)

Another article posted on mongabay.com discusses a study that suggests that organic tomatoes are sweeter and more nutritionally dense than tomatoes grown with pesticides.  

Before I started eating organic foods, I didn't particularly like oranges.  However, I devour the ones that come in my organic share every week pretty voraciously.  They are sweet and delicious.  Maybe there is some truth to the taste argument, but you should be the judge for yourself. 

Calorie Tally

Junk food is my vice.  Chips, licorice, chocolate, cookies, you name it.  If it's high in fat or calories, I want it, and I want it in mass quantities.  Living on my own, I get to control what I keep in my pantry, which is good.  So a year or so ago, I decided that it was just too dangerous to buy things like chips or cookies, for the sake of my lack of self discipline when it comes to portion control.   I try to snack on things that really aren't my first choice, but are more nutritious, and less calorie dense.  Trust me, the guilt is spared when you eat a pound of celery as opposed to 8 cookies (so much shame).

Calorie counting helps people who want to keep track of their daily calorie intakes.  You can download calorie counter apps on your smartphone, and some phones even let you scan the barcode of the food that you're eating.

Now I'm no doctor or nutritionist, and I am not one to go on crazy diets, but I found that keeping track of my calorie intake for a period of time to be really helpful.  I think a lot of people eat without really knowing the value of what they're putting into their bodies.  When I kept a log of my daily intake, and even planned my meals based on it, I became much more familiar with the amounts of calories in foods.   So now, even though I don't keep a record, I still use the knowledge I gained to make better decisions when it comes to snacks and meal time.  I know what I can eat endless amounts of, and what I should try to eliminate or limit.

So I definitely recommend trying to keep a tally of your calories for a week or so.
Now, if you don't feel like downloading an app, or just plain don't want to do it, I'm happy to give you a brief summary of my findings; Bread is the devil, and vegetables are your friend.  Enjoy!