The Toxic World of Organic Strawberries

I am often asked, “Is Ayla as sensitive as her Dad?”  (Ayla is 21 months old, and her dad is my

chemically sensitive son, Joshua.)

My reply, up until this point in time, has always been, “We really don’t know. She’s only had organic food and drinks since birth.” I am now able to answer this question with certainty, “Yes, Ayla is as sensitive as her dad.” 

If any of you have been to Heirloom Food Co., you know Ayla to be soft spoken, sweet, gentle, calm and focussed. She is also very busy exploring the world around her and is a joy to spend time with. I know... I spend a lot of time with her.

Most recently, Ayla’s mom gave her organic strawberries for a snack. Shortly thereafter, our soft spoken, sweet, gentle, calm and focussed child turned ugly. She became uncontrollably angry with bouts of crying in between. At one point she even resorted to banging her head against the kitchen table. These are all behaviors that were reminiscent of her father long ago while attempting to learn exactly what caused my son’s dual personality. 

Ayla’s Mom was shell shocked. Why would organic strawberries have such an affect? Ayla often ate other organic berries without a change in her overall personality and behavior. I decided to do a little research and what I learned may surprise everyone.

Organic strawberries have a toxic little secret. “They come from plants that spend time on nurseries that use ‘millions of pounds of toxic chemicals,’ including methyl bromide before being transplanted to organically managed field.” This is according to a New York Times article that you can read here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/us/farmers-seek-to-raise-standards-for-berries.html?_r=2&ref=sanfranciscobayarea&

It seems that organic strawberries are not so organic after all. The moral of this story is, if you desire your chemically sensitive child to remain healthy and happy, avoid store bought organic strawberries. Instead, plant your own or buy from your local organic farmer and enjoy the sweet, unique flavor of what a real organic strawberry tastes like without any of the side effects.

Let me also say, that I think all of our children are sensitive. Some of us are simply more aware of the causes linked to their sensitive nature thanks to Joshua and Ayla.

For more information about sensitive children and reactions to toxins in our food, water and environment, read Joshua’s Lessons - Raising a Healthy Child in a Toxic World. It just may open your eyes to the truth.