QuestionHi Evelyn! My name is Sharon and I'm 22. After a lot of research, I've decided to switch to an organic diet. It is much, much more expensive, but is worth every penny over much of the crap they have here in the States.
As it was explained to me, to benefit fully from an organic diet, you must first herbally detox the entire body and also kill the yeast overgrowth in the intestines (I forgot the exact name...begins with a C, maybe?). I bought a 2 part body cleanse at an organic market, but it made me feel extremely ill and I decided to wait a bit to try again.
Are there any products that you recommend? As I understand it, you are in Europe, but perhaps a site online where I can order. I am anxious to get through the body cleanse part so I can focus on the food I'm consuming.
I am also looking for a good whole-food suppliment to compliment my detox program. Any recommendations would be fab. Thanks a bunch, and have a great day.
AnswerDear Sharon,
I like your decision for the enthusiasm it has given you! However, it begs me to stipulate that an organic diet is also very much a moral choice and not, in my personal view, supposed to be, predominantly about health improvements. Above all,though, organic and cleansing do not per definition go hand in hand - they actually almost contradict eachother. Organic products are cleansing in the long run and their beneficial effects are not at all dependent on the condition of your body. What you may notice, in due time, however, is that you will become more and more sensitve (not only for the better, think of new allergies or a growing list of impossible meals); and this is due to your "purer" system. But this type of effective purification is an ongoing process and only as pure as your last bite.
Some additional notes you may wish to consider before you drown at the deep end.
First of all, for your information, there is still quite some controversy to organic farming and brands for quite legitimate reasons. Not everything with an (authorised) label is of the same quality. For example, bear in mind that organic is not necessarily dynamic (bio-dynamic farming is a different story all together, and looks at the meaning of life as a whole, not in terms of personal well-being). There may be some organic methods which are, actually, damaging to the enviroment. And we would not want to encourage retrograde or stagnant principles.
An organic diet should be a natural consequence of finding out what matters to a modern, awake and concientious person who can AFFORD to care. There are issues of obesity, cancer, heart failure, energy levels, healing, performance and longevity which may all benifit from an organic diet, and also the other environmenal and global issues that a so called, organic lifestyle addresses. But the nutritional aspects are often too inaccurately addressed by the modern trend to buy and cook organic.
Try not to confuse diet with the label of Organic. As a (fishy)vegetarian with an aversion to overly-processed foods I gravitated towards Organic: the diet coming first and not the produce. And that's when the cleansing story begins.
Choosing for Organic will not keep you "yeast-free" (neither will vegetarianism! - far from it indeed.) It may (significantly) decrease your intake of chemicals in the form of chemical fertilizers and preservatives (and often -but not always- flavour enhancing rubbish) etc. However, some cases of corporeal toxicity can also have developed by ingesting "natural" foods. One of the latest concerns is that "healthy" supplements are just a damaging, precisely because they burden your system: you can even have TOO MUCH of a good thing. (Be cautious with vitamin/mineral boosters). You are better off fasting on a vegetable-cocktail juice diet for a week or taking special organic clay disolved in water (an amazing challenge to keep that up for a week,I'm telling you, but it does work, if you have a normal (undiseased) gut.
It is not uncommon to become ill from any cleansing routine (but extremely ill is a sign to give it a rest). The main point I'd like to remind you of, though, is that a) it will take many years for some (heavier) pollution to be turned over and emitted from your system and b) if you want to be yeast free you may have to have a life-long diet avoiding many products (and probably end up eating lots of meat - which is a fairly unorganic idea). Ayurvedic medicine and diet focusses a lot on this (macrobiotics). Their supplements are generally very uninvasive (but also their effects may be minimal depending on how hyper sensitve you are)
Eating organically is an entire process of cleansing and focussing which does not really have a prepratory phase. What normally happens is that you gradually roll into it: you start making more and more organic choices and eliminating non-organic options, till your shopping trolly almost only consists of organically certified products (including cleaning products, have you thought about that? Detergents and unbiodegradable products make organic farming difficult). And one day you might not even want to go to a restaurant unless it serves organic produce! But then you might not be getting out much, any more!!
May your initial steps down this adventurous path be bold and committed with much hope for a better future for everybody and the planet herself. I am sure you will be richly rewarded and never eat better and more deliciously.
Love Evelyn.
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