I had lunch with friends recently and we started talking about all the great organic produce and places out there now.
When I first went organic in 2003, there was a very limited range and it was mostly sad, irregular products that spoiled very quickly and cost 100-200% more than non-organic. I regularly experienced finding larvae in my apples and lettuce while busily chewing them, so I quickly learned to carefully inspect food before taking a bite. I was reminded of the old saying: the only thing worse than finding a worm in your apple is finding half a worm! My friends laughed at my apprehension. They accepted it as a sign of healthy and living food. I like my food without grub.
Fortunately, a lot has changed since then. Now the quality has definitely improved and the prices seem to only be 20% higher than non-organic, especially if you know where to shop. (And I’m very happy to report that I haven’t seen a larva or insect in my products for a long time.) Even traditional supermarkets are rapidly expanding their organic ranges: the health food aisle is getting bigger and bigger, there are organic canned tomatoes and lentils, organic breakfast cereals, pasta and tea. Today I was delighted to see that there is now organic holoumi cheese as well. Organic chicken, beef, and eggs have been around for a while, too. Even organic butcher shops are springing up.
Even the range of organic products apart from organic food has been greatly expanded. Now there is:
*organic skin care – keep an eye out for my next article on the creator of Narelle Cheney, Miessence
* organic hair dye, shampoo, etc. – my hairdresser (Bron at Endorphin Hair, Bulimba) says that many cancer women come there especially for his products
* organic personal hygiene products – toothpaste, deodorant, tampons, etc.
*organic cotton – sheets and towels are so heavenly!
* chemical-free and organic ways of cleaning, including laundry products
* organic candles and essential oils
Now it seems that there is almost nothing that is not available as an organic alternative. The only thing I can think of is toilet paper. Has anyone seen organic toilet paper?
When i first went organic i tried many products, many of them did not impress me, especially the skincare ranges, toothpastes and deodorants. After talking to many wonderful consumers and manufacturers and slowly working through trial and error, I have found that there are some great products out there. So if you’ve tried a few products and been less than impressed, don’t give up — let us know what you’re looking for and we can help you find it.
Once you start looking for organic, you’ll notice it popping up everywhere. I live in a popular suburb of Brisbane in Australia and there are two large organic food stores within walking distance of my home. One has a fabulous cafe and the other has a great naturopathic range, a gym and regularly runs very informative health seminars at a very reasonable price.
