Category: organic

• Good enough. The no stress approach to avoiding toxic chemicals in food.

  The subject of toxic chemicals in our food and beverages can be overwhelming, especially when you think of all the potential sources of contamination. And issues around food can be triggering for people, especially for those with eating disorders, such as anorexia and orthorexia. However, food is essential for life and can be an occasion…

  laurelstandley

  February 27, 2026

  plant-based, toxic chemicals, clean eating, reducing exposure, pesticides, organic

  diet, environment, exposure, food, health, toxins

• Popular diets and sources of toxic chemicals 

  There are many popular diets out there and, other than the Standard American Diet (SAD), each have strengths and weaknesses with respect to the potential presence of toxic chemicals in recommended foods. In this post, I’ll discuss which aspects of those diets are best and which expose you to foods that are more vulnerable to…

  laurelstandley

  February 9, 2026

  bioaccumulation, clean eating, food and beverages, organic, pesticides, plant-based, plastic, reducing exposure, saturated fats, toxic chemicals

  Blue Zones, diet, environment, exposure, food, health, mediterranean diet, toxins, vegan, vegetarian

• Saturated animal fats as dietary sources of toxic chemicals

  Advice recommending the consumption of saturated fat, including from beef tallow, has been in the news lately.1,2 I won’t go into the health issues associated with eating this, as I’m not a medical doctor. My concern focuses more on beef and other animal fats as delivery devices for fat-soluble, toxic chemicals like dioxins, organochlorine pesticides, and…

  laurelstandley

  November 20, 2025

  bioaccumulation, clean eating, conventional farming, organic, plant-based, reducing exposure, saturated fats, toxic chemicals

  environment, exposure, food, health

• Garden to table – keeping toxic chemicals out

  There’s nothing quite like harvesting fresh produce from your garden. In addition to having access to high quality fruits and veggies, there are other reasons to grow your own. Home gardening can be a hedge against rising grocery prices. And in the spirit of our ancestors who grew some of their own food during World…

  laurelstandley

  April 30, 2025

  organic, pesticides, reducing exposure, toxic chemicals

  composting, environment, food, garden, gardening, sustainability

• “Conventional” farming as a source of toxic chemicals to food

  Conventional, a.k.a. chemically-intensive farming can be a source of toxic chemicals to our food. Pesticides, such as insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, may be directly sprayed, leftover from a prior crop, or drift in from an adjacent field. Growth regulators and sprouting inhibitors may also be applied after harvest. Why be concerned about pesticides in your…

  laurelstandley

  March 31, 2025

  clean eating, conventional farming, organic, pesticides, produce, reducing exposure, toxic chemicals

  food, health, organic