CSA - Community Supported Agriculture

CSA farms are local farms supported by the local community.  

If you're lucky enough to belong to one, you will get the freshest healthiest food available!

With most CSAs, you pledge a certain amount - either weekly, monthly, or yearly - they all have different requirements - and, in return, you get a share of their harvest.  

There are many CSA farms where we live, and at least three of them are BIODYNAMIC.  Local Harvest can help you find one where you live. 

I remember my first day as a farm member, being overwhelmed by the amount of produce available, "free" for the taking.  It's not really free - we pledge a certain amount every year to partake of this bounty - but the the cost of the membership and the value of the vegetables are not connected.  We pay the same, regardless of how many vegetables we take.

Our CSA is unique in that you don't get a box, you take what you need of those products you like.  Don't like rutabaga?  Don't take any.  LOVE lettuce?  Take what you need.  If more CSAs followed this protocol, they would have no problem getting people to sign up.  You need to live close to the CSA, though.  Our CSA does not deliver.

There are some things that are allocated - we get a specified amount of garlic, and when the veggies make their first appearance of the year we're only allowed "a taste".  But, when there is an abundance of something - like spinach, broccoli, or tomatoes - we're allowed to take "up to a case" for processing.

During the summer, farm days can be stressful - deciding how much to take so that none goes to waste.  You need to keep in mind that the produce has not been washed and some things are full of dirt.  It's healthy biodynamic dirt, but it needs to be removed before you can use the produce, so preparing it takes a little longer.  If I put the produce in the fridge dirty, it lasts longer, so I clean it right before I use it.   Yeah...my fridge is full of dirt!

Here's a picture of the bottom drawer of my fridge, with all the dirty (healthy!) vegetables.

The BEST thing about a CSA: the vegetables are harvested right before you get them so they are full of nutrients (in the summer).  You will NOT get produce this fresh in any supermarket!

In the fall, our CSA offers storage vegetables - carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, radishes, potatoes, onions, and cabbage.  When root vegetables are planted and harvested according to the biodynamic calendar, they last until the following summer! 

Here is a photo from Maria Thun's book showing onions in May from the previous year's September harvest.  The onions harvested on leaf days (AK) are rotting.  Those harvested on fruit and flower days (WK and LK) are sprouting.  Only those harvested on root days (EK) are still as firm as they were in September and remain so at least until the following August.  THIS is why I love biodynamic agriculture!.

One of our CSA farms has a little store, where we can buy organic bread and cookies, biodynamic herbs, salves, and tonics, salt and maple syrup.  Farm members get free milk, and we can purchase meat, eggs, yogurt, and cheese made with the farm's milk.  You really could survive eating only what you can get from this CSA.  We are extremely lucky to be members.

We also belong to another CSA, a newer and smaller one, but we find they're complimentary.  One CSA grows eggplant, corn, strawberries, apples, and peaches, the other doesn't; one grows greens in winter, the other doesn't.  This CSA also has a 'take-what-you-need' policy and allows for processing amounts in the fall.

We love them both and will never give up either one of them!

There is a third biodynamic farm nearby where we can get goat's milk products, preserves, and honey.

We are truly blessed.

COOKWARE - what not to use and why

COOKTOP

The safest cookware you can use is properly seasoned cast iron.  It works on all cooking surfaces, including induction, and it's inexpensive.  Older pans, found on eBay and at garage sales, are thinner and lighter than new pans but most require serious cleaning and re-seasoning.  IMO, it's a pain to create and maintain the seasoning, so I don't use mine often.

Enamel is also safe.  It's inert, it doesn't leach, and it's stick resistant (NOT stick-free).  It does wear off over time so don't use metal utensils (I use wood), and don't scrub too hard when you clean it, let it soak first.  Le Creuset and Staub are enamel on cast iron and made in France.  Chantal Copper Fusion is enamel over steel, made in Germany.  These are the brands I use.  Le Creuset is light colored enamel which I prefer as it's easier to see the color of foods browning, and when the enamel is wearing thin.   All three brands sell ceramic baking dishes that are made in China and are NOT SAFE.

Some people claim that ceramic is the safest, but the most popular brand, Xtrema, has a red 'label' on the bottom that is very high in lead and will off-gas into the room when you use it.  It won't work on induction.  I wouldn't use it until they remove that label and the new label tests safe.

Glass is safe; but, like ceramic, it won't work on induction.

The worst cookware you can use is bare aluminum.  It will leach into everything you cook.
If you have an aluminum pressure canner DO NOT USE IT FOR COOKING!

In between is everything else:

Stainless steel can leach nickel.  The higher the nickel percentage, the more 'stainless' the steel. 18/10 is high, 18/0 is low.
We use 18/10 and don't worry about the nickel content.

Titanium doesn't leach anything but it's prohibitively expensive.  You can sometimes find used pieces on eBay. 

Anodized aluminum, like Calphalon, is supposedly safe but I got rid of all of ours.

Copper reacts with acid.  It needs to be lined or toxic amounts of copper can leach into food.  It's usually lined with tin, which wears over time and needs to be replaced.  Some high-end brands are lined with stainless, which can leach nickel.  It also needs care to look good (i.e. it tarnishes easily).

BAKING

Most bakeware is non-stick.  DO NOT USE NON-STICK BAKEWARE! 

Some people say it's OK to use silicon bakeware, others disagree.

Clear Glass is OK (colored Pyrex is NOT OK).

Apilco and Pillivuyt plain white porcelain baking dishes are OK.  I would not use Chinese copies.

Xtrema ceramic will be OK once they remove the red label.

I use aluminum jelly roll pans lined in either a silicon mat or parchment.

I found three sizes of stainless roasting pans at Golda's Kitchen.  Wish they made jelly roll pans.

Lehman's makes a stainless cookie sheet but not a jelly roll pan. 

TABLEWARE - what not to use and why

Are you wondering what tableware is doing on a healthy living blog?

It's been proven that many dishes contain heavy metals (lead, cadmium, etc...) and repeated use can make you very sick. It can cause permanent irreversible brain damage in children.

California Proposition 65 (1986) is often cited as the benchmark by which all manufacturers base their lead-free claims.  This law limits the lead content in most products but critics say it doesn't go far enough because there is no safe level of lead.  When buying tableware, many manufacturers will claim their products 'meet Prop 65' standards; but, like everything else where manufacturer's profits are concerned, there are scofflaws.

William's Sonoma claims to test everything they sell.

In most cases, it's either the glaze or the decoration that contains the heavy metal, and red is the color most likely to be contaminated. Gold and silver also have high lead content (it's used to get the metal to adhere to the china/glass).

Lead glazes are stronger than lead-free glazes, and are typically used on soft paste low-heat-fired ceramics to make them more durable. Fiestaware is notorious for contamination.

High-heat-fired porcelain like Apilco and Pillivuyt does not require a lead glaze to be durable.  Apilco and Pillivuyt are made in France.  They're expensive, but the set I bought over 30 years ago still looks new, and only one piece has chipped.

Hall, made in the USA, used to be high-fired but they were purchased in 2010 by Homer Laughlin and I don't know if they're still safe.  Perhaps they are....

Some varieties of Corelle are lead free but I have heard that, if it breaks, it shatters into thousands of razor sharp shards.   I wouldn't use it.

I also would by wary of any tableware made in China.

GLASS

Clear glass is likely to be lead-free UNLESS IT'S FLINT GLASS OR LEAD CRYSTAL, both of which DO contain lead, and it DOES leach, in some cases within 20 minutes.

Several lead crystal manufacturers suggest a 50/50 vinegar and water solution to soak in the decanter for 24 hours before using it, as the acidic vinegar can help leach out much of the lead that would otherwise enter your wine or liquor.

DO NOT STORE WINE OR WHISKEY in a lead crystal decanter.  You can pour it in right before serving but, if it's not consumed during that meal, pour it back into the original bottle.



Soda-lime glass and borosilicate glass don't contain lead but both contain aluminum and studies have proven that small amounts do leach out.  Exterior decorations, like the red markings on Pyrex measuring pitchers, do contain lead.  If you touch them, and then touch your lips, you're ingesting it.



Metals are used to create most colored glass.  If the color is ON the glass (flashed glass) please avoid it.  If the color is IN the glass, in some cases it's OK:  red color is made using gold and pink using selenium.  Both of these are beneficial metals.  Yellow is made with uranium, milk/opal glass is made with arsenic, and blue is made with cobalt..  Green colors occur naturally and require magnesium to remove.

If the glass or china is scratched, it's leaching.  

Most vintage/antique tableware contains lead and it's leaching.    

If you aren't sure, you can have it tested.  

The two sets I had tested were astronomically high.  I got rid of them.

BOTTOM LINE FOR US:  We use our lead crystal glasses and fine china.  For special-occasions, a couple times a year, we don't worry about it.  Ours has always been hand washed and is not chipped or scratched. For everyday use, I'd find something else.

So, if you love tableware, as I do

how do you set I nice AND healthy table?

Let me show you....

It has been proven that food which looks good is perceived as tasting better than food which doesn't.  If food tastes better, it's more likely to be eaten (and healthy food needs all the help it can get!)


I LOVE the way a nicely set table looks.  It makes me take more care when I'm eating, and I enjoy the food more.  I understand that some (most?) people don't notice, and might even resent having to be careful when eating on a tablecloth.  If you're one of those people, just skip the rest of this post!


I have been collecting tableware since I was 16 and have several sets of dishes, both formal and casual.  Most of it has rarely been used and is scratch-free.  While I do sometimes like a table set with only one pattern, I prefer to mix and match them.  And, recently, when I'm serving friends with compromised immune systems who are happier eating on glass, I mix china with glass, and I LOVE the way it looks.

Here are the last two tables I set.

ART DECO BRUNCH, to illustrate etiquette principles.

I gave this 'lesson' to my friend's children to help them if they ever found themselves dining with the Queen (or some other high-muckety-muck who might offer them a job).

In the table setting above, the black and white chargers and the salad plates are Mikasa stoneware that I'm not sure are lead free.  I love the pattern so I intersperse them with glass.

The green luncheon plates are by Love and are 'safe' because the color is on the underside!  The topside, the side you eat on, is clear glass.  I love the pop of color these give to the table.

On top of the striped salad plate are a pressed glass cream soup bowl and underplate with a strip design that coordinates with the black and white plates.   If you look closely, you can see the stripes.

When the soup course was removed, the salad course arrived on another glass plate, this one with an etched stripe pattern.

In the photo above, you can see that all the glasses are clear but have a black foot that ties them into the black-white theme.  The smallest glass, on the silver coaster, was filled with sherry to be poured into the soup (vichyssoise).  The coaster contains any drips and protects the tablecloth.  The largest glass is for water, and the champagne glass held a sparking rose when the main course was served.

The main course was served on the glass plates with the green underside.  The bread was served on the Mikasa bread plate because there was no liquid to release any contaminants, if there are any, from the plate.

The small glass tea cups (in the first picture above) were used to serve tea with the dessert after the meal.  I don't have a photo.

The flatware is four different art deco-ish silverplate patterns that worked well together.

THANKSGIVING DINNER 2017:

We had 7 people: 1 celiac, 1 shellfish allergy, 2 ketogenic diet, 1 onion-garlic aversion, 1 mushroom aversion, 1 turkey-ham aversion.

We served three entrees, four gravies, and seven sides.

The china underplate is Lenox Eternal with a gold border.  I'm pretty sure the center of the plate is safe but I didn't want my guests to worry so I used amber glass luncheon plates on top of them and I think the table looked better with the amber than without it.

The large wine glasses have gold leaf INSIDE the glass!  They were made by  Tony Davlin and are no longer available but I'm sure you can find other, similar, glasses.

The 'champagne coupes' are martini glasses by Bombay Gin.  I bought them because I love the turquoise ball at the base of the bowl.  It adds color without compromising the liquid.  They say "Bombay" on the foot but it was hardly visible on top of the placemat. 

The antique red wine glasses have gold on the outside but it's far enough from the lip that, if you're careful, you can avoid it.  You could use these with a straw, if you wanted, or fill them with flowers and use them as decor.

Organic products I have bought (in the USA)

I will be updating this page as necessary.

These are the organic products I buy on a regular basis, and why.  They are not biodynamic, mostly because I cannot find a biodynamic version.  Or, in cases like EVOO, it's so expensive I can't justify using it on a regular basis. There are a few non-food products listed, like clay soap and tree-free TP, because they qualify as 'healthy'.

1. Bariani EVOO - they practice organic methods but are not certified.  The olives are pressed no later than 24hrs after picking.  Their acidity level is one of the lowest I've found - 0.25, far below the 0.8 level for extra virgin olive oil classification  - and it's stored in stainless tanks (not plastic) until it's bottled in glass.  The Raw Food World has the best price I've found.  I stock up in the winter, right after the fall harvest, so it won't get hot in transit.
2. California Heritage EVOO -  probably the healthiest EVOO you'll find, with 0.18 acidity, which means, "... we are offering an olive oil in its most pristine state – its benefits are coming to you with as few oxidants or free radicals as possible."  Formulated for health, not taste,
   it has a robust, sharp flavor. I use this in small amounts in salad dressing.
3. Grassfed Ghee by Pure Indian Foods - this ghee is made with summer milk.  I don't buy the cultured version because probiotics are killed by the ghee-making process and I'm not willing to pay more for something that isn't there.  If you buy it from the Pure Indian Foods website you get a discount if  you buy at least 6 jars. This is what I use when I don't make it myself from our farm's milk.
4. Truly Wild Rice by Eden Foods - most 'wild' rice is now cultivated.  Even some 'wild harvested' rice is not contaminant free because it's harvested in motor boats that spew oil into the water.  Eden Wild Rice is hand harvested by the Minnesota Leech Lake band of Ojibwa, Native Americans, in canoes as required by law. (The brand I used to buy, North Bay Trading Co, also sells hand-harvested rice but they admitted to me that motor boats are allowed on the lake where it's harvested.)  Eden Foods can't guarantee motor boats aren't allowed on other parts of their lake, but the area where the rice is harvested is part of a reservation and is protected. I trust them and I like the idea of supporting Native Americans.
5. Cistus Tea by Biopure - I drink this all summer long to make myself unattractive to ticks.  I also give it to our dog.  You can buy cistus on eBay but I don't think the quality is as good as Biopure.
6. Chocolate Chips by Equal Exchange - I use these for everything, even eating out of hand, because they don't contain soy lecithin or vanillin, and they don't come wrapped in aluminum.  As soon as they arrive, I transfer them to glass jars. The best price I've found is at Vitacost.  Whole Foods also carries them.
7. TresOmega GF Pasta - My husband eats gluten, but I try to limit my intake so when I make pasta, I use this brand.  It tastes almost as good as wheat pasta but it's made with rice, quinoa, and amaranth.  I am going to try making my own using those grains; but, in the meantime, TresOmega sell all the shapes I use except linguini.  I buy it in bulk using Amazon using Subscribe and Save, but it's available elsewhere.  
8. Rice Crackers by Edward & Sons - these have one ingredient: organic rice flour.  NO SALT because I prefer to use my own Himalayan Pink Salt.  We use these as scoopers for dip and also as support for cheese and other finger foods.  I buy them by the case using Amazon Subscribe and Save.  You can also get them at Vitacost and iHerb.
9. Canned Beans by Eden Foods - these are sold in a BPA-free can. They are salt-free and contain a little bit of kombu which is supposed to help with digestion.  When I don't have time to soak and cook beans from scratch, this is my go-to brand. 
10. Pain Des Fleurs Crispbread - These crackers are bigger than the rice crackers above (which is a disadvantage as they do not break cleanly) but they are a nice taste alternative.  They're available in Quinoa and Chestnut.  I get them on Amazon.
11. Mary's Gone Crackers JALAPENO - most crackers contain some kind of refined oil, these don't.  We love their spicy flavor but they might be too spicy for some.  Best price I've found is Amazon Subscribe and Save.  Some of their other flavors contain tamari (soy) and other ingredients we don't eat.  This is the only flavor we buy.
12. Seed Oils by Andreas - these are cold pressed from organic seeds grown in Canada. They are so stable they don't need to be refrigerated.  I use the flax oil to make Linomel, and I put the others in my salad.  
13. Organic Raw Honey by Healthy Traditions - it's hard to find organic honey because the hives need to be at least 4 miles in every direction from any flowers that might be contaminated.  This one, from Healthy Traditions, is from Canada.  It has a mild flavor that won't interfere with most recipes.  I have not purchased this one, from Hawaii, but some of the flavors sound delicious!
14. Soy-free, corn-free, and GMO-free chicken by Healthy Traditions - If you read the write-up in the link, even organic corn has gylphosate residue, thanks to drift.  It's hard enough to find soy-free chicken, much less soy and corn free, so this is a real find for me.  They're very expensive, so I don't buy them often, and since only whole birds are available (we don't like the dark meat) I buy them to make broth.  Chickens have the worst omega 3:6 ratios of all animals - 18:1 - so you shouldn't eat too much chicken meat anyway, even free range.
15. Soy-free, corn-free, and GMO-free eggs by Healthy Traditions - If you read the write-up in the link, even organic corn has gylphosate residue, thanks to drift.  It's hard enough to find soy-free eggs, much less soy and corn free, so this is a real find for me.  Plus they're guaranteed glyphosate-free.   They're very expensive, but our health is worth it.  Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse and we eat a lot of them. 
16. Siliplant Silica - This is an important aluminum chelator that I also take for my hair, nails and skin.  I get it through The Raw Food World, but Dr. Cowan also sells it..
17. Walnuts by Filmore Farms -  their walnuts are shelled right after the October harvest and then put into cold storage.  I buy them as I need them because I don't have room to store them in my fridge or freezer.  Most of the time I sprout them and then dehydrate with salt and New Mexico Chile powder.  I use these in salads, dips, pasta, rice, desserts, and just eating out of hand.  I have also dehydrated them without seasoning and then made them into walnut butter.
18. Clay Soap by Zion - clay soap is detoxifying and not drying.  My skin stopped itching when I started using this soap.  Zion makes lots of different scents, all of which are healthy because they're made with Essential Oils, but the one I like the best is the unscented Moon Dance. I buy it in bulk from Zion Health but it's also available at Amazon and many other online retailers. 
19. Mercola Shampoo - When I was younger I had a massive amount of hair - so much that most hair clips were too small.  As I got older, it got thinner and thinner, until I started using this shampoo.   My hair will never be as thick as it once was but it's back to normal now.
20. Tree-free toilet tissue by Earth's Natural Alternative -  recycled paper has a lot of BPA in it, due to cash register receipts, so you shouldn't use recycled paper products if they will touch any of your body's mucus membranes.  This product is made from bamboo.  It's not as thick and soft as Charmin but it's soft enough for us.  If it wasn't, I'd use Charmin before I bought a recycled paper product.

Biodynamic products I have bought (in the USA)

I intend to add to this as new products become available.

 

1. Apple Cider Vinegar by Natural Nectar, available at Amazon and Whole Foods
2. Almonds (steam pasteurized) by Marian Farms
3. Balsamic Vinegar by Acetaia Guerzoni available on Amazon
4. Brandy by Marian Farms
5. Breakfast cereal by Back to the Roots
6. Chocolate by Pacari (not all flavors are biodynamic)
7. Coffee by Cafe Altura also available on Amazon
8. Cranberries available at Whole Foods in the fall (freeze them for year-round use)
9. Essential Oils by Borbonese on Amazon
10. Essential Oils by Fushi on Amazon
11. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) by Castillo de Canena
12. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) by Grgich Hill
13. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) by Preston
14. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) by Tablas Creek
15. Everything (if you live near LA, CA) by Apricot Lane Farms (they don't ship)
16. Everything (if you live near Hudson, NY) by Cowberry Crossing
17. Flour (emmer, einkorn, farro, hard wheat, and rye) by Bluebird Grains
18. Fruit (apples, peachs, plums, pears, filberts) by Brook Farm in MA
19. Fruit (citrus, guava, figs, persimmons) by La Vigne Fruits
20. Herbal Tinctures by Oregon Wildcrafted
21. Jam (blueberry, strawberry and apricot) by Crofters at Whole Foods, and Vitacost
22. Juice (apple, cranberry, and pomegranate) by Lakewood at Whole Foods
23. Lemons by Marian Farms and La Vigne Fruits
24. Limes by La Vigne Fruits
25. Maple Syrup by New Day Farms
26. Mustard by Gathering Place
27. Pasta by L'Origine at IGourmet
28. Raisins by Marian Farms
29. Rice (white sushi, and short grain brown) by Lundburg at Whole Foods
30. Sugar by Wholesome at Whole Foods
31. Tea by Hampstead on Amazon
32. Tea (Idulgashanni and Makaibari) at Arbor Teas
33. Tea (ginger and Darjeeling) by Republic of Tea at Whole Foods and Amazon
34. Tomato products by Good Boy Yellow Barn at Whole Foods and Lucky Vitamin 
35. Vegetable Powders by Dr. Cowan's Garden.
36. Verjus by Montinore
37. Wine:

• Grgich Hill
• Mein Klang 
• Montinore 
• Preston
• Tablas Creek

Why BIODYNAMIC is better than organic

There are HUGE differences between ORGANIC and BIODYNAMIC but I'm only going to touch on them superficially here.  For details, you'll have to access the links provided below.

If you don't know what biodynamic agriculture is, this is the best concise description of Biodynamic Agriculture that I've found. Basically, it "works with the energies which create and maintain life".

In the current evolution stage of planet Earth, even without the harmful effects of human activities of our time, it is necessary to use practices that heal and rejuvenate the declining vitality of the natural world. We practice biodynamic because we strive to grow food that nourishes and heals the human body and supports the development of the human soul. We are inspired to produce food that is full of vitality. Food that is medicine.

From a consumers perspective, biodynamic is organic on steroids.

Organic agriculture standards are determined by the government's NOSB (National Organic Standards Board), and the standards are continually being eroded by agribusinesses that want a piece of the organic monetary pie but don't want to provide an organic product in return.  There are over 100 chemicals - many of them dangerous - which are approved for organic farming.  Originally, these were meant to be reviewed periodically, and eliminated if natural alternatives became available, but the standards board has removed the 'sunset' provision and they are now here to stay forever.

Don't get me wrong - organic is still MILES better than conventional, which allows thousands of chemicals to be used - but there s a better option: BIODYNAMIC.

• Biodynamic agriculture uses NO GMOs and NO CHEMICALS!
• 
  
• Biodynamic agriculture must use clean water (organic certification does not test the water).
• 
  
• Biodynamic agriculture cannot be subverted by agribusiness.

In addition to using no chemicals and no GMOs, biodynamic farming improves the soil.  The longer biodynamic methods are used, the more productive the land becomes.  

Conversely, the longer one farms conventionally, the more the soil is depleted until nothing will grow in it.  True organic agriculture (not the sham organic described above) lies in between these two extremes.  

  Animals on biodynamic farms

must be able to express all aspects of their innate behavior 

with minimum stress.  They're all 'pasture raised'.

Fortunately, there are several biodynamic farms in this area and I support them all.  As much as possible, I use our biodynamic CSA farm's products, and buy other biodynamic products online. 

If you'd like to find a Biodynamic CSA near you, 

Local harvest or

The Biodynamic Association should be able to help you.

You can learn more about Biodynamic certification here: DEMETER Association, Inc.  (Demeter - pronounced DEM'-eh-ter - is the certifying body.)

PLEASE!  Support biodynamic agriculture (by purchasing biodynamic products)!
Look for the Demeter seal:

For more information, contact The Biodynamic Association

Small farms that cannot afford certification but do farm biodynamically will often reference Rudolph Steiner on their websites and other promotional material.  Steiner's name is another way to find biodynamic products when you're shopping.  I will periodically do a Google search on 'biodynamic' or 'Steiner' to see if any new sources have emerged.  There are three CSAs in our area that farm biodynamically but are not certified.  If you know your farmer, certification is not necessary.  

Some of the things I do to decrese our toxic load

 TOXIC LOAD: The Poisonous Chemicals in Your Body

Toxic load (sometimes also referred to as "body burden") is a huge stressor to the immune system, as well as all of your other bodily systems, and even your mental state. Learning to minimize your toxic load can greatly improve your health, and can be achieved through a number of simple steps, with fewer changes to your current lifestyle than you might think.

1. Our well water, which is cleaner than city water but has high levels of salt from the water softener, is passed through a REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER FILTER which removes everything, including chlorine, fluoride, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.  We use this water for drinking, cooking, watering the plants, and filling the humidifier.  Because it also removes the minerals, for drinking and watering the plants I add minerals back in.

2. Most of our food (produce, eggs, meat and dairy) is produced biodynamically by the CSA farms we belong to, and from Internet sources.  The rest is either organic, wild*, or pasture raised.  Our farm's milk is raw, and I use it to make our yogurt and cream cheese.  When I use these in a recipe, I add them last, after turning off the heat, to preserve the nutrients.  We never use low-fat dairy and limit our use of pasteurized and homogenized products.  *Be careful with the 'wild' designation: some things, like 'wild rice' are cultivated, and some 'wild' products grow close to highways and other toxic sites and are not healthy. Honey would be an example of something where location is important. 

3. If I must buy produce in a grocery, or eat it in a restaurant, I use EWG's Guide to Produce to determine what I can buy/eat conventional. In a restaurant, I will only eat the Clean Fifteen.  If you can't afford to buy all your produce organic then, at a minimum, you should buy the Dirty Dozen organic. 

4. We use no refined oils or products that contain them.  Refined oils are rancid oils that have been "refined" (de-odorized) to remove color and odor molecules so you cannot smell the rancidity.  For mayonnaise I use Eden Foods Organic Unrefined Safflower Oil.  Do NOT use the canola oil called for in the mayonnaise recipe. EVOO can be used for mayo/aioli but it should be made by hand as the blades of a processor can damage the oil and make it bitter.

5. The only fats we use for cooking are EVCO (extra virgin COCONUT oil( raw)), ghee, lard, and tallow.  Some people think it's OK to heat EVOO but I'm not sure that's true so I don't.  If I want the olive flavor, I add it once the heat is off.  I never heat EVOO over 250F.  Some people also think it's OK to cook with avocado or macadamia  nut oil but I haven't found unrefined versions so I don't use them at all.  I do use unrefined sesame oil, both light and dark. The other fats we use, but never heat, are butter, EVOO, and cold-pressed seed oils like flax, nigella, pumpkin, and hemp.  Your body NEEDS fat.

6. We use only Himalayan Pink Salt.  There is a huge debate raging on whether Celtic Sea Salt is better, or Pink Salt is better.  The Celtic Sea Salt advocates claim that the sea where it is harvested has not been contaminated by all the pollutants humans have dumped into the oceans but I've looked at the map of how the world's current circulate and I don't believe it.  Himalayan Pink Salt, and Real Salt from Utah was formed before pollution existed.  I suspect that Real Salt is harvested by cleaner machinery, given that it's in the USA, but it tastes gritty - like I'm chewing sand - and I can't use it.

7. We buy very few packaged goods and the few that we do buy have only one or two ingredients - i.e. flour, pasta, rice, beans, cacao powder, honey all without preservatives and other chemicals.  I prefer to buy things without salt, like these rice crackers, since most companies don't use healthy salt. Eden Foods is one of the few companies I trust, but I don't buy their canned tomatoes as the cans still have BPA in the lining.  If you must buy canned tomatoes, buy them in glass.  I make most of what we eat 'from scratch', including all condiments.

8. We cook on titanium, stainless, enameled, or cast iron.  We never use non-stick cookware, ever, no matter how it's marketed, and we store everything in glass (GlassLock, Fido, Weck, and LeParfait are best, canning jars (Ball, etc...) will do in a pinch).  When I use a container that doesn't have a glass lid, I put a sheet of Foil-backed Parchment between the food and the lid (parchment side down, touching the food).  If something has no fat in it, like vegetables, I will occasionally store them in BPA-free plastic bags for a short period.

9.  Our everyday dishes and serving ware are lead and cadmium free.  Undecorated high-fired porcelain and clear glass are what we use.  Apilco is white, high-fired porcelain, made in France.  It's expensive, but the set I bought over 30 years ago still looks new, and only one piece has chipped.   Pillivuyt is another similar brand.  There are many impersonators, all made in China, that are NOT safe.  Do your research.  Soda-lime and borosilicate glass are safe.

10. What you put ON your body is as important as what you put in it.  Anything you breathe in, or that touches your skin goes right into your bloodstream, bypassing your digestive system's toxin removal process.  The sources below describe the ingredients you need to avoid, and many of them sell products without those ingredients.

• I use GimmeTheGoodStuff  to source safe household and beauty products
• Health Ranger Store sells tested household and personal care products
• Mercola also sells healthy household and personal care products
• I do not buy toilet tissue made with recycled paper - it's loaded with BPA from discarded cash register receipts  (it's best not to touch those with your bare hands, either).  I buy Earth Natural Alternative  made from bamboo.
• tampons and other feminine hygiene products must be organic
• use EWG's Skin Deep database to determine whether your cosmetics are dangerous

11.  Several years ago we moved to the country, where the air is cleaner (we hope), there is no noise pollution, and the night sky is dark and full of stars.   

12.  Our bedroom has very few electrical devices (clock, phone & bed lamps) and we sleep on a Grounding Sheet to mitigate their effect.  Our pillows are organic buckwheat hulls, which naturally conform to the shape of your head, neck and spine to maximize comfort and support.  The room is very dark, which is best for sleeping, and has no mirrors which are bad feng shui.  We sleep really well in this room!

We are far from perfect....there are many other things that we could do but don't:

• We eat too much sugar
• I use too much glycation in cooking (browning food, which creates carcinogens) 
• We don't get enough exercise
• I don't know everything that's bad for us - I'm sure  there are others!