Crunchy, and proud of it

Many of you know that I have recently decided to eat vegetarian, and organic when possible (Whole Foods=Whole Paycheck, but Trader Joes is a rather viable alternative, and oh how I love Trader Joes). Anyway, the organic trend is catching on, but for some reason there are still obstacles to healthier eating. No, I don't get it either. This Tribune article in Sunday's paper discusses the attempt to water down the regulations for labeling food as organic. You probably don't think about all the chemicals and additives in food these days, but just because it seems safe now doesn't mean it won't cause problems years from now. I suspect that in the next 10 to 20 years, we will start to experience health problems that directly result from unnatural chemicals in our food and in our environment. Lung cancer and asthma are already becoming more widespread problems in large cities where there is greater pollution, and even the Blommer Chocolate Factory in Chicago was cited by the EPA for releasing exhaust into the air that contained too much particulate matter (who knew that inhaling chocolate was a bad thing?!). So there's my official plug for healthy eating. Support organic farming and eat locally. Start at www.FamilyFarmed.org for more info.