Organic Food – Oprah Article Summary

Reading Oprah’s website, I liked what her expert Sophie Uliano had to say about organic food. “Organic means that it’s grown without the use of herbicides, pesticides. It’s not genetically modified; it’s not irradiated,” Sophie says. “Organic farming protects the planet, so it’s a win-win. It’s healthier for us, and it’s healthier for the planet.” http://www.oprah.com/world/enviro/green/action/slide/action_foods_350_101.jhtml

Families with young children consume a lot of baby food, so Sophie suggests starting there. “I am recommending organic baby food because babies are much more vulnerable to the effects of pesticides, and there’s a lot of pesticide residue on all food,” Sophie says.

One of the major myths of going green is that you have to buy all organic fruits and vegetables. It’s not true—and sometimes it’s just not always possible. Some of the foods more heavily sprayed are raisins, potatoes, green beans, cucumbers and strawberries. Sophie suggests you make your own veggie spray to help wash away any chemicals that could be on your fruit. Rinsing simply isn’t enough. “All you do is spray it on the vegetables, leave it for 5 or 10 minutes and rinse them off, and you’ve got rid of a lot of pesticide residue,” Sophie says. http://www.oprah.com/world/enviro/green/action/slide/action_foods_350_108.jhtml

If you can’t buy organic produce, you need to make sure you wash it thoroughly. Use this spray to make sure your fruit and vegetables are squeaky clean.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 Tbsp. baking soda
20 drops of grapefruit seed extract*

Combine all ingredients in a large container. Then, transfer to a spray bottle with a pump. Spray mixture on produce, and rinse thoroughly after 5 to 10 minutes.

*Grapefruit seed extract is available at your local health food store. http://www.oprah.com/foodhome/food/recipes/food_20080422_spray.jhtml