Friday, February 23, 2018

Organic products I buy (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'.

List is not in any order.  I add to it as I think of things that need to be on it.

  1. Jackson's Honest Chips - these are the ONLY POTATO chips made without unhealthy oils!  They're cooked in coconut oil!  They offer both potato chips and corn chips, and they make each in several varieties (yellow, sweet, blue, red, etc...).  I love the sweet potato chips!  I buy ours at Lucky Vitamin.  Whole Foods also sells some varieties.
  2. 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.
  3. California Heritage EVOO -  one of 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.  Phenol content is 400-800ppm.  I use this in small amounts in salad dressing.
  4. Olea Blue HIGH-PHENOL EVOO - according to this excellent article on GimmeTheGoodStuff  higher phenol content = healthier oil. High phenols also mean a more peppery/spicy aftertaste which some people don't like....  Olea Blue EVOO contains 800-1500ppm and they test each batch!   I take a teaspoon of this every morning with my supplements.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.  It's also the best wild rice I've ever eaten!
  7. 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 know if the quality is as good as Biopure.  I've compared them and they look different.
  8. 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.
  9. 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 Subscribe and Save, but it's available elsewhere.  
  10. 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.
  11. 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. 
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.  
  15. 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!
  16. 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.
  17. 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. 
  18. 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..
  19. 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.
  20. 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. 
  21. 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.  I use a bar soap now, the one below:
  22. Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve BAR Shampoo - As much as I like Mercola's shampoo, I did NOT like the plastic bottle it came in so I switched to a bar shampoo and I LOVE IT!
  23. Tree-free toilet tissue by Who Gives a Crap! - 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, like those between your legs.  This product is made from bamboo.  It's not as thick and soft as Charmin but it's soft enough for us.  I have this brand on autoship because it comes individually wrapped in paper (not plastic) which means I can leave a spare roll on the tank. Who Gives a Crap has now eliminated all plastic from all of their products and operations!!!  One other thing...when TP became more expensive than a barrel of oil, in March of 2020, Who Gives A Crap shut down their online ordering and preserved all their stock for their autoship customers.  We are now their customers for life!
  24. Tree-free facial tissue by Who Gives a Crap! - I use facial tissues a LOT, not only for my nose, but for wiping the rims of jars, cleaning the strainer in the sink,  etc...  BTW, all bamboo paper products are made in China which does concern me; but, since that's where most of the world's bamboo grows, I doubt I'll ever find a USA-made brand.  Who Gives a Crap has now eliminated all plastic from all of their products and operations!!!  I also buy their paper towels.
  25. Barnana Plantain Chips - I found another healthy chip!!  These are organic, fried in coconut oil, and use himalayan pink salt!  Whole Foods also sells them and you'll get a 10% discount if you buy a case of 8.   They're very salty - use them with things that have no salt.
  26. GMO- and Glyphosate-free Corn Chips - Healthy Traditions has started selling healthy corn chips using corn sourced from central Mexico.  They're expensive so I buy in bulk when they go on sale. 




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