To Organic or Not To Organic

I don't know what's caused my cancer --- according to the TCR page, no one knows what causes tescticular cancer. But I can't help but think that the amount of pesticides and hormones we ingest has to affect us somehow. And, of course, stress probably plays a big roll too. All that has gotten me to start thinking more seriously about what I put in my body and how I handle stress. Call it a New Years Resolution (hopefully one that will stick around awhile) if you want but I'm going to make a more concerted effort to not only eat healthier foods but eat more organic foods.

There's a good article about organic foods in the February issue of Consumer Reports. The article discusses the organics worth buying (beef, milk and apples) and the ones that aren't worth the additional cost (asparagus, broccoli and cosmetics). It's a good (and, I think, fairly balanced) article and worth checking out.

Also, there's an interesting article about Wendy Gordon, executive director of the Green Guide Institute (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/business/15lunch.html), in the Jan 15th issue of the New York Times. The Green Guide Institute encourages people to live a more "green" lifestyle --- they're fairly pragmatic about it (Gordon says drinking bottled water is a waste of money and offers no reduced risk --- most tap water is fine).

I've taken up yoga and, as silly as it may sound, am "learning" to breath. The hospital gave me a copy of a Dr Andrew Weil article on stress reduction --- it was essentially a yoga-like deep breathing exercise. He says that if done regularly there is no need for anti-anxiety or anti-depression drugs. Hey, it seems to be working so far.