Where traditional farmers apply chemical fertilizers to the soil to grow their crops, organic farmers feed and build soil with natural fertilizer. Traditional farmers use insecticides to get rid of insects and disease, while organic farmers use natural methods such as insect predators and barriers for this purpose.

Traditional farmers control weed growth by applying synthetic herbicides, but organic farmers use crop rotation, tillage, hand weeding, cover crops and mulches to control weeds.

The result is that conventionally grown food is often tainted with chemical residues, which can be harmful to humans. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides and 30 percent of insecticides to be carcinogenic.

Pesticides can have many negative influences on health, including neurotoxicity, disruption of the endocrine system, carcinogenicity and immune system suppression. Pesticide exposure may also affect male reproductive function and has been linked to miscarriages in women.

Aside from pesticide contamination, conventional produce tends to have fewer nutrients than organic produce. On average, conventional produce has only 83 percent of the nutrients of organic produce. Studies have found significantly higher levels of nutrients such as vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, and significantly less nitrates (a toxin) in organic crops.

If you must buy conventional produce, there are ways to reduce your pesticide exposure.

Thoroughly washing all fruits and vegetables will help, although all pesticide residues cannot be removed by washing. You can also remove the outer layer of leaves or peel vegetables if possible. Another alternative is to grow your own vegetables, although this takes space, time and climate considerations.

Other ways to avoid environmental toxins include:

Rather than eating fish, which is largely contaminated with PCBs and mercury, consume a cleaner source of high-quality omega-3 fats such as krill oil.
Avoid processed foods -- remember that they're processed with chemicals!
Only use natural cleaning products in your home, and switch over to natural brands of toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics.
Avoid spraying insect repellants that contain DEET on your body. There are safe, effective and natural alternatives out there, like Neem-Based Botanical Outdoor Gel.
Remove any metal fillings as they're a major source of mercury. Be sure to have this done by a qualified biological dentist.
Avoid artificial food additives of all kind, including artificial sweeteners and MSG.
Limit your use of drugs (prescription and over-the- counter) as much as possible. Drugs are chemicals too, and they will leave residues and accumulate in your body over time.

Sandi,

Have you found anything that works well to clean the tub/shower? I use borax and scrub with half a lemon on the dry surface and it removes soapscumb pretty well, but I can't seem to keep it smelling fresh (I'm very sensitive to mold). I clean it every Friday-I really don't want to have to clean twice a week because it is very time consuming and hard work! I also have to give in every few weeks and use bleach on some spots on the grout. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Hi Missy....

Hydrogen peroxide is great to get the mold out, and I like baking soda for the deep scrubbing, it works pretty well. Sometimes I use Comet, but I always use heavy duty gloves and be careful not to inhale the powder.

Here are some uses for hydrogen peroxide, I prefer to use the food grade peroxide, it is processed without chemicals, but has to ge diluted to proper proportions.

-Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.

-Clean your counters, table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.

-After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

-Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.

-You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

Hope this works for you,
Sandi
xoxo

Thanks for the tips. I use borax and baking soda for my laundry, but had't thought about using peroxide. I'll give it a try too.

I use Borax to bathe with.It's great for clearing up blemishes and acne.You have to be careful not to get it in your eyes.A Seventh Day Adventist told me about it.In her religion they were not allowed to use soap,Borax was the alternative.I don't feel truly clean unless I use it now. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />