'If we as a society are willing to have a preference for organic food, the farmer can pass on the savings.'

Before my health nose-dived at the end of 2009, I don't think I'd ever had organic food.  In fact, food as a whole didn't interest me in the slightest. It was simply a means to keep me going through my day.  Sometimes I didn't even bother with breakfast, or lunch..I just didn't believe there was enough time in the day for it.  My shopping list was this : microwaveable Iceland meals, rigorously sticking to my self-imposed £15 budget. Alcohol and nights out at Uni came first for me at that time. Toad in the Hole was a favourite of mine:

Little did I know how much my physical and mental performance was being hindered.  I suppose I learnt the hard way. I was grumpy and on edge in the mornings, and I'd get very sleepy around late afternoon.  My blood sugar was often low, meaning I'd usually go for the coca cola pick-me-up, or even a Red Bull.  I'd get a quick buzz, and then it would be back to feeling somewhat tired again and unfocused.  

It was only once I got diagnosed and referred to a Nutritionist who specialised in my condition, that I realised, firstly, how important a good balanced diet is in the function of a healthy human being (it's basically more important than everything except oxygen and water!), and secondly, the importance of keeping to as many clean fruits and vegetables as possible whilst in recovery.  Fast food went out of the window, and along with that, alcohol (most of the time!)  In through the window came good quality fruit, veg, and meat (as much organic as I could find!)  

Of course, the importance of diet is magnified when going through ME/CFS. To get better can often mean cutting out anything that could be a burden on your body i.e. gluten, wheat, sugar, dairy etc.  It's really tough, but it encourages you to get creative, make your stuff from scratch, and be as clean as possible with your food.  

It's not always possible to get organic, but if you prioritise what would be really helpful to your body in organic form, and what may not, it makes things much easier.  In today's mass consumer society, all our meat is pumped full of anti-biotics to stop them from getting sick. Remember, what goes into them, goes into you once you consume it. And people wonder why we're becoming immune to anti-biotics! The food the livestock consume is also low grade and usually full of pesticides. Again this goes into use and makes our bodies weaker as a result. As a rule of thumb, therefore, I go as organic as I possibly can with meat.  Vegetables aren't quite as important, as you can wash off the pesticides with water, a veggie brush, or veggie soap : http://bit.ly/1uxlLK5

Despite this, there are certain vegetables which are intensely sprayed with pesticides throughout the growth process, and are worth getting organic if possible.  They're known as the Dirty Dozen (diagram below). The Clean Fifteen signify those lowest in pesticide content. 

So...where to buy?

• OCADO - the best range of organic produce I'm aware of AND cheaper than Tesco!
• TESCO/SAINSBURY'S - both have a good quality organic fruit & vegetable range.
• ASDA - lower quality organic, but still organic and cheaper than most other supermarkets.
• WAITROSE - great selection but burns a hole in your wallet!
• PLANET ORGANIC - (if based in London) this is a great chain of purely organic supermarkets across London. Click here for details
• WHOLEFOODS - organic fruit, veg and snack market. Click here to see if there's one near you
• ABEL & COLE - explained in my Vlog below.... All organic fruit, veg, and great quality meat, at a fairly reasonable cost all delivered to your door. You even get a free fruit and veg box with every 4th order Click here for their website

Nutribullet - worth its weight in gold?

'What on earth is a Nutribullet?' That was the first question that came into my head when this fairly recent contraption was mentioned and recommended to me by a friend. The name itself makes it sound like it contains a round of live ammo.  


After being told about it, I checked out the adverts on Youtube, and to be honest, they were all really Americanised with quotes like, "You got all that from one orange???" and so on... Furthermore, the way it did what it did seemed too good to be true, and perhaps even staged. Oh wait, I haven't explained what this Nutribullet gadget is yet. Here goes....

'The NutriBullet is effectively a very powerful blender. It completely breaks down your food, liquefying and mixing together all the essential nutrition. It literally pulverises fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, giving you all the nutrition.'

Sounds cool huh? But wait, there's a catch...most retailers price this product at £99.99, which let's be honest, is expensive for a blender.  However, given that Christmas was round the corner at the time of me discovering this, and the fact my juicer was on it's last legs/dead, I put it on the Christmas/Birthday wish-list. That's what I like about Christmas..if you don't like it, at least you didn't lose money over it, and if you can get your mitts on the receipt, you can swap it for something else! Anyway, I digress..

Once I got it home, I wasn't really sure how I'd fit what I'd normally juice into this fairly small blender on steroids.  So instead I just used about half the amount of fruit and veg I'd normally use (recipes at the bottom of this page).  

Taken From Here

I must say I was really impressed by the flavour and texture. It's a fair amount denser than a juice, but it has the huge advantage of keeping all the nutritional value, along with loads of fibre, which you don't get with a juice.  There was also a noticeable change in my energy levels and strength, which was a wee added bonus.  In addition to this, it's much easier to clean than any smoothie maker or juicer I've ever come across. Takes about 30 seconds. Simples...

There's no doubt it's the best blender out there, but as I mentioned earlier, it comes at a price!  On the flip side, it's cheaper than buying your smoothies and juices retail.  If this is something that interests you, feel free to comment in the box below. I'm always on the lookout for a good deal, so if one comes up for a Nutribullet, I'll post it up on my Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/adam.lomax.73)

Below I've listed a few tasty recipes you can try with Nutribullet, but which can easily be used in any juicer/blender/smoothie maker : 

Spiced Oatmeal Blast

Ingredients  :
1 Handful Kale
1 Ripe Banana
½ Cup Oats
½ Apples
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
2 Dates
1 Teaspoon Maca
½ Teaspoon Ceylon Cinnamon
¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg
To Max Line Almond Milk

Directions
Add all ingredients to your Tall Cup and extract for 30 seconds, or until smooth.

Orange Beet Blast

Ingredients :
1 Handful Kale
½ Beet
4 Chunks Pineapple
½ Orange
1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
To Max Line Coconut Water

Directions
Add all solid ingredients into tall cup
Fill to MAX line with water/Coconut Water
Blend until smooth, approximately 30 seconds


Power Gulp

Ingredients : 
1 Handful Kale

1 Handful Green Grapes

1 Cucumber

1 Green Apple

Directions
Add all solid ingredients into tall cup
Fill to MAX line with water/Coconut Water
Blend until smooth, approximately 30 seconds



NOTE 1 : If you're interested in buying a Nutribullet, the best thing is to buy from source. In that way you know you're getting guaranteed quality and are likely to get some form of warranty for free. Here's the site : http://bit.ly/1xMm0LN

NOTE 2 : Give organic a chance, it really does make a difference, and it usually tastes better too.