The Why And How Of Buying Organic Food To Support A Healthy Pregnancy
Consuming organic food is important, especially when it comes to certain foods that are more affected than others by conventional farming practices. If you choose organic, by definition that means you're choosing products that are free from GMOs (genetically modified organisms), routine use of antibiotics and hormones, and harmful pesticides and fertilisers.
Why is organic best during pregnancy?
Minimising exposure to pesticides and fertilisers is important, especially during pregnancy, as toxicity from pesticides and fertilisers (such as glyphosate) can impair the function of the liver and gut, as well as reduce the body’s ability to absorb beneficial nutrients, especially minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc, from your diet.
Furthermore, prenatal pesticide exposure can interfere with hormone levels in the body and may alter reproductive development in utero. It can also be harmful to the baby’s developing brain.
While it's difficult to avoid exposure to pesticides entirely, you can take steps to minimise it.
Choosing foods that are grown organically or are spray-free is a great first step. If buying organic produce all the time isn't possible, consider choosing organic produce depending on the amount of pesticide residue. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes an annual list of the fruits and vegetables which have the most pesticides i.e. the Dirty Dozen, as well as a list of the fifteen kinds of produce with the least amount of pesticide residue i.e. the Clean Fifteen.
And when you don’t have access to organic or spray-free fruit and veg, washing the produce using one of the solutions below is a great way to reduce your and baby’s exposure to toxins.
SOLUTION 1:
Combine 50/50 hydrogen peroxide (3%) and water.
SOLUTION 2:
Mix 1 cup vinegar to 4 cups water plus one tablespoon of lemon juice. Shake well to combine.
Spray or soak the produce in the solution for 3-5 minutes. Rinse, dry and store.
Buying produce from small farms in your local area, via your local Farmer’s Market for example, is a great way to obtain produce that's spray-free and organic at reasonable prices.
When it comes to meat, choosing meat from animals that have been pasture raised and organically fed is the way to go. This way you avoid consuming the toxic hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides and growth promotants given to commercially raised animals. Choosing organic chicken and organic eggs, grass-fed or organic beef and lamb, organic pork, and wild-caught fish will help you eat as cleanly as you can for your benefit and your baby’s.
Further ways to minimise exposure to pesticides is buying pasture-raised or organic dairy, organic grains and beans/legumes, avoiding soy which has some of the highest allowable glyphosate residues, steering clear of vegetable oils, not spraying pesticides in or around your home/garden, and avoiding the use of chemical insect repellent and insecticides.