In my world, holistic health is all around me, from organic restaurants and farmers markets to nature hikes and hot springs. I sometimes forget that many people are not exposed to a healthy lifestyle. This is not surprising considering the constant exposure to pharmaceutical and junk food ads and supermarkets carrying processed food and produce from thousands of miles away. I realize that some basic education would be very helpful. Today, and on an ongoing basis, I will talk about basic yet essential nutrition information based on questions that come up frequently. I’ll start with a question that I’m asked all the time.

Is organic and/or locally grown food worth the extra money? Organic food is grown without pesticides. These insect killers aren’t enough to kill a human, but if consumed every day over the course of a lifetime can lead to a wide variety of serious health issues. The liver has to filter everything that we put into our body. If it is constantly filtering out pesticides, then common substances such as pollen, dust, and food can begin to cause allergy symptoms. This is called “total load.” The liver and the immune system get overwhelmed by toxins and suddenly we are having headaches, allergies, digestive and nervous system problems.

Pesticides are not the only culprit. Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are another problem than can be avoided by eating organic food. What is the harm in eating GMOs? Our bodies are designed to get nutrients from a variety of fruits, veggies, animal proteins, etc. When the genetic make-up of food is altered, our body does not recognize the chemical structure anymore. When this happens, our immune system makes antibodies to fight off foreign invaders. Food should never be considered an invader, but when it is, the body essentially attacks itself, leading to allergies and autoimmune conditions such as arthritis and eczema. Another problem is food allergies. If a fruit contains genes from a nut, and you are allergic to nuts, then you could get sick from the fruit and not know why.

If going green is your concern, then think about this: most conventional produce travels thousands of miles before it gets to the supermarket. This requires a considerable amount of fuel. In addition, much of the supermarket produce is picked too early, which means it will not reach its nutritional potential. Produce contains the highest amount of nutrients within a few days of being picked. When food travels across the country, not to mention across the world, it has lost vitality and nutritional value. Locally grown food not only tastes better because it is fresh, it also supports local economies.

Which bring us back to the point about cost. If you have a farmers market in your area, you can get locally grown organic produce for less money than conventional produce in many supermarkets. You cut out the middle man and buy directly from the person who grew your food.

Wow, one simple question led to a good discussion. I encourage you to leave a reply to ask me any questions you would like to see discussed here in the future.

If all this talk about organic food has made you hungry, here is a delicious seasonal recipe for you to try. Use as many locally grown and organic ingredients as possible.

spring-inspired quinoa salad

1 cup quinoa, soaked for at least 7 hours in 3 cups filtered water and 1 tbsp lemon juice, vinegar, or yogurt**

**soaking grains makes them more digestible

1 bunch asparagus, snap off bottoms

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 large lemon, juiced

1 16-oz can Eden brand organic kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup celery, chopped

3 spring onions, chopped

1/2 cup shitake mushrooms, chopped

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp fresh thyme

1 bunch steamed chard, or spinach

2 tsp + 1 pinch Himalyan or sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

directions: Drain quinoa in colander and rinse. Combine the quinoa with 1.75-cups of filtered water and 1 tsp salt in a saucepan and bring to boil. Once water boils, reduce the heat to low, and simmer covered 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350. Place asparagus in baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until tender.

In a cast iron or stainless steel pan, saute garlic, pinch of salt, and 1 tbsp olive oil for 1 minute. Add spring onions, shitake mushrooms, celery, thyme, and sauté until soft.

In a bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, 1 tsp salt and pepper. Add the kidney beans, sauteed veggies, roasted asparagus and cooked quinoa. Gently combine. Serve over steamed greens. Top with chopped parsley.

Enjoy!