I occasionally volunteer at a local soup kitchen, and I remember at the end of one shift I sat down to a meal of the leftovers. Two women (shelter residents) at the next table were talking nutrition, and the importance of eating produce. They only had access to frozen and canned, and they said their bodies could really tell the difference. They sometimes got the shakes, their thinking would get cloudy, and they had more dental problems (all of which was compounded by a lack of health coverage of course.)
Another anecdote: I have a friend with severe bipolar disorder. She used to find herself in hospital about every eight months on average. She's always been a healthy eater, but she switched to an all-organic diet along with some other mindful changes. Now she's hospitalized once every 5-6 years on average. Cool!
I'm the same way. I've found over the years that my body has become increasingly sensitive to my nutritional input; if I don't eat enough brown and produce-ey I get logy and depressed after just a couple days. I can't afford to go organic, but I have a passion for cooking so I have a lot of control over what goes into my food. It's very rewarding to take care of myself in this simple way, with such profound dividends.
Thanks for the reminder, Freestyler.
