I have gone beyond the prepackaged types, trying to get closer to Mother Earth by preparing my own lettuce from now on. I am finding the more I learn to prepare my own foods and not rely on mechanical preparations, the better I feel!
Now I did have to get past that gritty counterpart of soil that resides on any newly picked lettuce and decided to purchase a Salad Spinner. This contraption was a delightful surprise! All I had to do is cut my lettuces into two inch pieces, place in salad spinner, fill with water, agitate a bit by hand to remove the dirt, and then pick up the basket and drain. Once done, I placed my salad back into the spinner and gave it a few turns to dry out my lettuce completely! It easily stores back in my refrigerator with easy pickin's for the next few days.
Organic Benefits of Produce
According to the USDA, organic fruits and vegetables, as well as grains, may not be treated with
fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides that contain synthetic substances or sewage sludge. According to the Mayo Clinic, organic farmers use natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, and beneficial insects and birds and other natural methods to reduce pests and disease. To manage weeds, organic farmers rotate and hand till crops instead of using chemical herbicides. Allison Pennell from babble.com, a parenting website, writes that ongoing exposure to pesticides makes children more susceptible to health problems, with
a risk of nuero-developmental damage in particular. According to the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, kids who consume conventional produce and juice tested positive for the presence of several kinds of pesticides in their systems. When these foods were replaced with organics, the pesticides in their
systems disappeared. According to Weber, some conventional farmers spray fields with treatments containing waste products from CAFOs, which may contain E. Coli, bacteria, which can lead to crop contaminations, such as those affecting spinach and lettuce in 2006. - Livestrong.com
Container Gardening
If your partial to cost, on a limited budge, or simply trying to get back to your grass roots try container gardening. After all by eating a good size salad each day, you could save money and wear and tear on your system by forfeiting additives from local merchants by installing some container gardens on your front porch of various lettuces. Do be careful if you are a fibro sufferer to esnure you purchase lettuces that you are accustomed to making sure you prohibit flare ups. You can purchase a delicious lettuce mix, or simply various lettuce types such as romaine, red leaf, green leaf, or a delightful heirloom mescaline mix.