I had lunch with friends recently and we got to talking about all the great organic products & places there are now.

When I first went organic back in 2003 there was a very limited range and it was mainly sad, spotty produce that spoiled very quickly and cost 100% - 200% more than non organic. I would regularly experience finding grubs in my apples and lettuce, busily munching away so I quickly learned to carefully inspect food before taking a bite. I remembered the old saying - the only thing worse than finding a worm in your apple is finding half a worm! My friends laughed at my squeamishness. They accepted it as a sign of live, healthy food. Me, I like my food grub free.

Happily, much has changed since then. Now the quality has definitely improved and prices seem to be only about 20% more than non organic, especially if you know where to buy. (And I am very happy to report I haven't seen a grub or bug in my produce for ages.) Even traditional supermarkets are rapidly expanding their organic ranges - the health food aisle is getting bigger, there are organic canned tomatoes and lentils, organic breakfast cereals, pasta & tea. I was delighted today to see there's also now organic holoumi cheese. Organic chicken, beef and eggs have been around for a while too now. There's even organic butcher shops popping up.

Even the range of organic products apart from organic food has massively expanded. There's now:

* organic skincare - watch out for my upcoming article on Narelle Cheney creator Miessence
* organic hair dye, shampoo etc - my hairdresser (Bron at Endorphin Hair, Bulimba) says she has so many women with cancer come there especially because of their products
* organic personal hygiene products - toothpaste, deodorant, tampons etc
* organic cotton - the sheets & towels are so heavenly!
* organic, chemical free ways of cleaning including laundry products
* organic candles & essential oils
Now it seems there's hardly anything that isn't available as an organic alternative. The only thing I can think of is toilet paper. Has anyone seen organic toilet paper?

When I first went organic I tried lots of products, many of them didn't impress me particularly the skincare ranges, toothpastes and deodorants. After talking to many wonderful consumers and manufacturers and slowly working my way through by trial and error I've found that there are some excellent products available. So if you've tried some products and been less than impressed, don't give up - let us know what you're looking for and we can help you find it.

Once you start looking for organic you'll notice it popping up all over the place. I live in a popular suburb of Brisbane in Australia and within walking distance of my home are two great organic food stores. One has a fabulous cafe and the other has a great naturopathic range, fitness centre and regularly runs very informative health seminars for a very reasonable price.

Kerri Witt is an organic consumer, natural health advocate & shares her passion helping others interested in all aspects of Organic Living. For More Information, Please visit http://organiclivinglifestyle.com

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