Vitamin D from tanning beds can be a safe and effective way of staying healthy and energetic each fall and winter. After years of thinking all tanning beds were dangerous, I learned how to tan safely — and why to avoid oral Vitamin D pills.

In this article, I also honestly look at the potential dangers of tanning beds (and one good alternative).

Why is Vitamin D necessary for human health

Very briefly, I want to hit on why Vitamin D is so important. Here are the key points:

• It modulates the immune system, to help protect us from viruses, bacteria and fungal infections.
• Vitamin D is a hormone that’s important in bone metabolism.
• There are a host of diseases associated with low Vitamin D levels, including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, obesity, autoimmune diseases and mental health issues.
• Vitamin D increases the absorption of minerals in our GI tract. (No wonder I feel more energetic when I get sun exposure.)
• It activates T regulator cells to protect the intestinal lining. (I always have a healthy gut when we travel to sunny locations, amazing.) On a related note, it down-regulates the stressful cellular response mechanisms in many pathologic diseases, including autoimmune. (source)
• As we age, we need more sun or supplementation. The skin decreases in its ability to make Vitamin D3 from sunlight, so we need more of it.
• Vitamin D from sunlight raises HDL (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol is known as the “good” cholesterol) by assisting the liver as it filters the body’s toxins, and as an outcome, improves heart health. This function also affects and prevents mental health issues. (source)

Why Vitamin D is SO important for autoimmunity

As someone who has had and put into remission 5 autoimmune diseases and a bladder disease, I am very familiar with triggers and healing mechanisms.

This is my favorite paragraph to write for you because I want everyone to understand the basic science behind getting the sun’s UVB rays and getting well, or preventing sickness.

Leaky gut predisposes us to the development of autoimmunity. Scientists and doctors are now seeing that leaky gut may be due to a lack of bacteria allowing UV (ultraviolet) and IR (infrared) light to our enterocyte cells, to activate the innate immune system.

Optimal levels of Vitamin D are linked to tighter junctions between the enterocytes of our intestinal lining.

When the gut is less leaky, our immune system is stronger. Instead of being activated constantly, our immune system can play a surveillance role in our GI tracts.

It is a strong theory that Vitamin D made from sunlight is a key helper against a range of autoimmune illnesses.

I have experienced this myself and love better understanding the hows and whys.

Is oral Vitamin D safe? Why to avoid Vitamin D pills

Most Americans who try to be healthy, or go to the doctor, now take high dose Vitamin D pills. I used to, too.

In fact, recently I went to the dermatologist for a routine examination of my many moles, and she said to me: “Remember, get as little sun exposure as possible, use sunscreen, and take your Vitamin D pills each day.”

She stated this passionately as basic medical advice that everyone should assume, follow; … and, she had zero doubt in its wisdom.

This is not surprising considering The American Academy of Dermatology website, which states it “appalling” that “anyone in good conscience could make the claim that intentional sun exposure – for any length of time – is beneficial.”

Friends, let us learn from this study: The farther away from the equator we are, where the sun is strongest, skin cancer rates are HIGHER. 

And, melanoma is higher among those who use sunscreen. (source)

Additionally, it’s not uncommon for people to have normal plasma D level from supplements and still have low vitamin D activity. This can happen more often for those with hypothyroidism or high cortisol levels. (source)

Vitamin D pills are hormone pills

Several years ago, I learned that oral Vitamin D is a hormone, not a vitamin.

The reason is: it is not an essential dietary factor. Rather, it is a prohormone produced photochemically in the skin from 7-dehydrocholesterol. Prohormones are substances that the body converts to a hormone. (source)

By taking this hormone orally, we are doing for the body what the body should be doing for itself. And, we are not addressing underlying issues of why the body is not able to.

How is Vitamin D made by the body

To make vitamin D in the body, there must be cholesterol from the liver. The body then provides biophotonic light energy, and the sun needs to provide UV light.

The body keeps making more cholesterol in its demand for more Vitamin D, and in this way, cholesterol will go higher when vitamin D is depleted.

Additionally, low vitamin D often indicates that the body is low in its cholesterol-dependent hormones.

This is one reason it is dangerous for doctors to try and lower patients’ cholesterol levels; 75% of the cholesterol made in the body is used to make our hormones: progesterone, pregnenolone, estrodiol, testosterone, aldosterone, cortisol, Vitamin D, bile and more. (source)

When our cholesterol levels are lowered by medications, so are many of the hormones that allow us to thrive. And then we’re given oral Vitamin D, instead of the light, that allows our bodies to make this prohormone.

Do Vitamin D supplements have the same benefits as UVB rays

When taking oral Vitamin D, I realized that I had issues each winter that went completely unaffected by those pills: mood, energy and thyroid function — issues I didn’t have each summer.

I needed the sun, not a pill that raised my blood Vitamin D levels.

Lastly, Vitamin D supplements deplete potassium. Unnatural supplementation causes imbalance in the body.

(Granted, if someone can not get UVB rays, supplementation of Vitamin D may be better than going without completely.)

Why tanning beds provide Vitamin D

Not all tanning beds provide Vitamin D.

Most tanning salons consider their UVA beds the best for creating a tan. And they’ll tell you that the less expensive UVB beds can burn you more easily.

In fact, the UVB beds are the ones that provide Vitamin D, and used for short periods of time, burning need not be an issue.

It only requires about 5 minutes inside a tanning bed for the body to utilize the UVB rays and create sufficient vitamin D (for one to several days), depending on a person’s needs.

Therefore, you do not actually need to tan your skin or overexpose it to the rays to get the needed amount of Vitamin D.

When Vitamin D from tanning beds is safe

Skip the chemicals in lotions

It can be confusing when we hear doctors talk about the dangers of the sun or tanning beds. Part of the reason for the confusion? Sunscreens and suntan lotions themselves contain dangerous chemicals.

So any data we have on the dangers of UVB light, the kind that enables the body to produce Vitamin D, comes from testing that did not include a control category of users who do not also use sunscreen.

While we can be sure that many sunscreens cause cancer, we can’t be sure to what degree the sun alone or tanning beds do. But we can be sure of the benefits.

Therefore, skip any lotions used for tanning, and see the Tips below for alternatives.

Avoid skin burns

Except when it comes to burns. We all know that sunburns aren’t healthy — from the sun or from a tanning bed.

Avoid getting burned.

Most salons require newcomers to start at 5 minutes or less. And customers may only increase their time incrementally each day, after 24 hours or more of a break. There is also a maximum time of 15 minutes allowed.

Tanning salons do not want you to burn.

UVB beds

Thankfully, there is scientific data on the benefits seen from use of UVB tanning beds.

As one study states,

… the novel use of UVB tanning beds that emits vitamin D – producing ultraviolet radiation is associated with higher 25(OH) D concentrations and thus may have a benefit for the skeleton, according to a study from the Boston University School of Medicine. However, even with conventional tanning beds, one study showed that subjects who used regular tanning bed had serum 25(OH)D concentrations 90% higher than those of control subjects (P < 0.001), had parathyroid hormone concentrations 18% lower than those of control subjects (P = 0.01), and had significantly higher bone mineral density than non-tanners. (sources 1, 2)

Why are tanning beds dangerous

For the skin to synthesize Vitamin D, it requires the B spectrum of ultraviolet rays.

The sun releases both A and B bands of ultraviolet rays. The damaging part of sunlight can be the ultraviolet A band.

When tanning, we need to seek out a bed that is B-band dominant.

UVA beds

Tanning beds may be dangerous for those who use the UVA beds, if they burn or use the beds as much as possible for long intervals.

You can interview the operator of a tanning salon and ask for the types of rays emitted by the machines before using them. Most tanning salons have a variety of machines to choose from, to suit their users’ needs.

EMFs

The other main issue to be concerned about with tanning beds is the potential EMF (electromagnetic field) exposure.

I am particularly sensitive to EMFs. I can’t even hold my phone in my hand without it causing discomfort.

Surprisingly, I have no noticeable side effects from the tanning bed I use at Tan Republic. But this doesn’t mean I’m not exposed to EMFs. Certainly, I am.

When shopping around for a tanning bed that’s right for you, look for low pressure, electronic ballast sunbeds, which emit fewer EMFs.

In fact, this kind of tanning bed emits significantly less radiation that one’s phone.

Why I tan despite the EMF exposure

There are four reasons I continue to use the bed, despite the potential risk of EMFs:

1. I can ground before and after tanning, and this offsets the risk of EMF exposure.
2. I only tan 2 to 3 times weekly, for 5 to 8 minutes each time. And you can tan as little as 1 time weekly for basic Vitamin D needs.
3. This level of exposure is actually very similar to or less than other exposure we get on a daily basis. So with grounding, we are not heaping a huge amount of EMFs into our bodies.
4. For me, the benefits outweigh the risk: I feel WAY better when I tan: a lot more energy, no thyroid issues in the winter (when I usually dip) and a good, consistent mood. And, I feel no ill effects from EMFs which can be noticeable for sensitive individuals.

Vitamin D sun lamps instead of tanning

A great alternative to tanning for Vitamin D is to purchase or use a sun lamp designed to provide Vitamin D.

I have not done this myself, but it seems an excellent investment.

I expect in the long run I may choose this route over of tanning beds.

I’ve heard good things about Sperti brand Sunlamp. The lamp allows you to conveniently provide your body with Vitamin D from home for just 5 minutes every other day. The price isn’t too bad, and the company is quite knowledgeable on the topic and their product.

Interestingly, this product is in such high demand that they only allow one per customer. Seems like a great option.

Sperti also sells a unit that treats psoriasis.

In the meantime, tanning at a local salon is very affordable and easy to weave into one’s schedule.

Tips for tanning safely

• Drink plenty of water before and after tanning.
• Consider supplementing with Magnesium, if you don’t already, as it’s a co-factor for Vitamin D no matter what. Vitamin K2 is also a co-factor that can be obtained through food or supplementation.
• A good protein diet with healthy cholesterol natural foods helps to maintain optimum Vitamin D levels.
• Use castor oil on your skin directly before tanning to keep the process gentle and effective. Natural oil does not make you tan more quickly; but, importantly, it hydrates your skin. (Other oil options include: magnesium lotion, coconut oil, refined jojoba oil or kokum butter mixed with another oil.)
• Avoid all the tanning lotions out there, especially the ones the salons try to sell you. There is a major profit margin on them, and they’re filled with dangerous chemicals.
• Too much UV radiation can cause skin burns. Tan for as little as 5 minutes at a time, especially when starting out, to avoid burning.
• Tan for as little as 5 minutes once a week if you’re concerned about EMF exposure.
• Ground before and/or at least after tanning, if and when possible. Grounding does not have to include putting your bare feet on the earth or getting in the ocean (although those are the best ways to ground). You can also snuggle with your pet or a favorite human.
• Always choose the UVB-dominant tanning bed. UVA has more harmful rays, and the UVB is what provides Vitamin D. The bed I use provides 60% UVB and 40% UVA. Look for that kind of a percentage. UVA is not all bad, though. In moderation, it is necessary and confers some benefits. But the ratio of higher UVB is what you want for all the pros.

Additional benefits of tanning: winter mood and stress reduction

The main reasons I tan are:

1. for vitamin D
2. and my mood! ~ How powerful is the tanning bed for me each winter? In just 8 minutes or less of tanning, I can go from high-stress or sad to feeling happy and well for days. I want to emphasize here, not just the happy-sad part, which I know is a little more discussed, but the stress part. Sometimes those of us with autoimmune issues can feel experiences as stressful that would not be to someone else. One minute, we’re feeling fine, and the next minute, everything feels really intense and stressful. Our body has gone into fight or flight without our consent. Tanning puts my body back into the rest and digest state, so much so that my stomach often gurgles while I’m tanning, as it promotes digestive processes. This gift of being returned to a parasympathetic state is very important for avoiding or healing autoimmunity. There is perhaps no greater trigger for autoimmunity than stress … and the absence of Vitamin D! Tanning beds can resolve both those causes for a mere $50 a month! This is one cheap and enjoyable solution for getting well and staying well.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments!

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Additional Sources

https://www.thetanningguru.com/
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/nonionizing_radiation.html

This article looks at the Best and Worst Foods for Anxiety and Depression and shares some surprising insights on how to reduce or eliminate symptoms largely through diet.

All the nutrition gurus are telling you to “eat the rainbow”, right? Lots of leafy green vegetables, orange bell peppers, red goji berries, yellow winter squash and super foods of every color are the order of the day.

Most of these foods are high in a toxin that actually increases anxiety and depression for some people — especially when combined with an unseen and often-unspoken of compound.

Worst foods for anxiety and depression: 1. Foods high in phytoestrogens

Big agricultural companies and many in the media encourage a plant-based diet. While some plants can be gentle and support brain health, many do not.

In short, any foods high in phytoestrogens can cause an imbalance of hormone levels causing anxiety, depression and moodiness.

A small segment of the population may benefit from these foods (namely certain older women in menopause). But most of the population needs to be cautious about eating too many of these foods. And some of us should avoid these foods completely.

To learn more about phyto (and xeno) estrogens, and for a more complete list of phytoestrogenic foods, read this article.

Briefly, avoid, or trial a removal of, these extremely estrogenic foods if you suffer from anxiety or depression:

• sesame seeds and tahini
• flax seeds and flax seed meal
• all soy products
• other nuts or seeds, to a lesser extent, may be problematic as well: such as pistachios and sunflower seeds

Worst foods for anxiety and depression: 2. vitamin A + stearic acid

Vitamin A used to be considered essential for human health, specifically: eye, skin, bone, the immune system and fetal development.

But now, frequent hip fractures in adults who supplement with vitamin A, plus a myriad of other symptoms, have scientists beginning to question this assumption.

While scientists have extensively studied acute vitamin A toxicity (such as someone eating a moose liver and dying shortly afterwards), they are only beginning to study what happens when humans load up on high doses of vitamin A regularly.

Either way, all medical science agrees: The liver stores excess vitamin A, and excess A causes toxicity in various forms:

The acute and chronic effects of vitamin A toxicity are well documented in the literature. Emerging evidence suggests that subtoxicity without clinical signs of toxicity may be a growing concern… (source)

And:

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, which is stored in your body. This means that excess consumption can lead to toxic levels. (source)

Vitamin A stores in the liver. When the liver is full, vitamin A stores in other tissues (eyes, skin, fat and organs).

Symptoms from too much dietary vitamin A

What’s interesting is that several hundred people, starting a few years back, began to see dangerous inconsistencies in adopting current dietary trends and their own health results.

Loading up on Matcha Lattes causing depression? Lots of beef liver and sweet potatoes causing anxiety and rosacea?

So this group started an experiment to eat a diet very low in vitamin A to see what would happen. Because the researchers involved studied how vitamin A detoxifies, they also eliminated sources of stearic acid, which exacerbates the toxicity.

(I was, and am still, in this group. The details of this concept were more of a theory when we started. You can read about the diet here.)

The results of a low vitamin A diet done the right way

Many dietary considerations must be taken into account when detoxing vitamin A — compounds and dietary choices that affect how and if vitamin A can be eliminated.

For me, and many others, the results of this detox process were life changing and health promoting.

Interestingly, in this group, we did not see anyone’s eye sight or skin conditions worsen. Just the opposite.

Instead, mental health issues improved. (Rosacea went away.) For me, my depression disappeared within 2 days, and another family member’s anxiety was gone within 2 weeks.

(We also used neurofeedback to reduce anxiety. I’ll be publishing a very detailed article on that in the coming weeks, written by my practitioner.)

Why vitamin A and stearic acid cause depression

Excess vitamin A, and one of its precursors, retinoic acid, through medications, supplements or foods, can cause brain swelling and pressure on the back of the eye that correlate with depression.

Stearic acid activates pro-inflammatory cells through activation of a retinoid (vitamin A) receptor. Put another way, stearic acid increases retinoid receptor activity.

A diet high in stearic acid exacerbates vitamin A’s toxicity.

Foods high in stearic acid include beef tallow, cocoa butter and virgin coconut oil.

You may already know which foods are high in vitamin A, but if not, they tend to be the most colorful foods, like sweet potatoes and kale, as well as animal foods like liver, fish oil and cod liver oil.

You’ll find a full list of foods to avoid on a low A diet here.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

3. Processed foods that cause anxiety and depression

It’s not hard to guess what other foods affect anxiety and depression.

How about modern processed foods that cause inflammation? Yes, that’s right:

• junk foods — High in stearic acid, hydrogenated oils, man-made additives and flavor enhancers like MSG, processed food ingredients are all linked to anxiety and depression.
• alcohol — Long known to cause depression, drinking alcohol regularly is like self-medicating with something that’s making you sicker. Anxiety is part of the loop and need for more.
• refined sugar — Sugar and alcohol behave similarly in the body, creating unnatural highs and lows to mental health, as they influence neurotransmitters, increase inflammation and agitation and cause hormonal imbalance.
• table salt — Try sea salt instead.
• refined grains — Too many refined grains deplete vitamin B1 and do not provide additional vitamins needed for ideal brain function and mental health. (source, source)
• artificial sweeteners — Diet drinks and artificially sweetened foods have been shown to correlate with depression. (source, source)
• energy drinks — These have been shown to increase stress, anxiety and depression. (source)
• processed meats (source)
• fruit juices and other sweets — Continual peaks and drops in blood sugar levels trigger the release of adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream, causing anxiety. If you forget this and take in too much sugar, try going for a brisk walk (or exercise in another way) to use up some of the energy and prevent the crash that can otherwise come afterward.
• caffeine — Though well-loved by even health foodies, caffeinated drinks stimulate the central nervous system, causing peaks of energy and dips of anxiety and/or depression. Caffeine can also inhibit the absorption of vitamins, including B vitamins.

Best foods to eat for anxiety and depression

After eliminating processed foods and foods high in vitamin A and stearic acid, what foods are best for mental health?

How well we digest specific foods is unique to each individual. Everyone has food intolerances, so there is no one size fits all diet. If you know you’re sensitive to potatoes, for example, avoid them.

Similarly, those with weak digestion may need to avoid certain grains initially, but be able to introduce them after a couple of months.

This is what happened to me. After many years on a grain-free diet, I was able to reintroduce all of the grains listed below successfully.

(Many of my other health challenges are gone now, too. I used to have MCAS, or a histamine sensitivity, and that went away after two weeks on the low A diet.)

Here are some of the main nutrient-dense foods that can help to support mental health:

• Grass-finished beef — This is different than grass-fed beef, which has become a term with no legal checks. Anyone can claim their cows are grass fed, but actually feed them primarily grain. This results in a cow with unhealthy omega-6 fats. Read more on this topic here.
• Wild game — Red meat wild game that forages in clean wide open spaces is high in omega-3s and B vitamins.
• Carbohydrates — Buckwheat, oats and barley (if grains are tolerated), parsnips and soaked, pressure-cooked beans (like this), and for some: peeled Russet potatoes and/or white rice.
• Fresh or frozen berries, peeled apples, grapes and raisins, dates, bananas and fresh lemon or lime juice.
• Romaine lettuce, peeled cucumbers, fresh or dried mint, dill, peeled cooked zucchini, cooked mushrooms and ginger root.
• Small amounts of Kerrygold butter or refined avocado oil.
• Mint tea and small amounts of kombucha or jun.

A balanced diet of whole foods, not super foods, is necessary for relieving anxiety, depression and supporting long-term mental health.

Additional Sources

1, 2, 3, 4

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How to Make a Grocery Budget for Real Food and Quality Meat provides three practical ideas to get you started. Yes: most Americans can afford to buy grass-finished meat and organic produce! It’s just a matter of re-arranging your budget (or creating one!).

Thankfully, it’s easier than you think! …

Below, 3 BIG ideas about how to create that budget and afford better food + 5 tips for grocery shopping that save money!

What’s a budget

A budget is an itemized estimate of expenses, in this case for a month, based on one’s income.

Many people “budget” for groceries by simply spending as little as possible while they buy what they want!

And, they go out to dinner to restaurants, as well as make various purchases, not seeing any correlation between the two.

Instead, get ready to make some changes, and see how happy they’ll make you!

Idea #1. Get a budget app on your phone (do this!!😲)

This has been a game changer for us.

This one step transformed our spending — and ability to budget!

Plus, we make a date out of it. (This would work for singles too!)

So … forget coupons, little envelopes with money in them or random spending with good intentions.

Money is now ZERO stress for us. That’s because: we know how much income we have each month.

We have a little date over coffee and pastry once a month at a French bakery. In this happy setting, we decide where all that money will go, including our grocery budget, savings, giving, doctor visits, supplements etc. (More on categories below.)

And that’s exactly how we spend! It’s incredibly freeing.

Of course, we can make our budget however we want it! So it’s not limiting.

If we agree to spend money on Nike sneakers, we do. If we agree to not eat out at restaurants because we’d rather that money go to great groceries, that’s what we do!

It’s also nice to see the month ahead and talk about what’s coming.

Our good intentions are all followed through on: we enter each purchase on our phone as we grocery shop, pay bills, make online purchases etc. It’s fast and easy.

And this way, we never need to touch receipts, which are estrogenic.

How to make a grocery budget

When we budget for groceries, we:

• discuss if we’re going to make a bulk beef order with our local farmer — and how much that will cost
• look in the freezer and see what cuts we want and how much ground beef we have left
• see how much chicken we need

Those bulk orders are included in our grocery budget. How much we spent the prior month informs how much we think we’ll spend in the coming month.

If it’s helpful, figure your grocery budget and other important budget estimates first. Then build the rest of your budget after that, so you can decide what optional categories to take money from so you have enough where it’s needed. Adjust and tweak a little in a few categories until it comes out even.

The budget app makes this super easy!

After the month is over, you’ll see where you need to improve or if a category wasn’t accurate and needs to be changed. Every month is different, so it’s important to create a new budget each month.

Here’s the app we have and love, created by Dave Ramsey and his team. We use the free version.

Dave’s motto is: “Tell your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” That’s right.

The goal of this article is: We want our money to go toward better groceries and preventative medicine.

We do not want to waste money on unknown purchases. By having categories of spending, we’re careful important dollars aren’t spent randomly on little items.

We’re also willing to spend less on optional purchases in order to afford better food.

Idea #2. Where to save money: cut spending in other categories

Once you get the budget app on your phone (read the above section if you skipped it; it’s key), you’ll choose categories of spending.

The important question is: Where can you spend less money, so you can spend more money on better meat and real food?

Only you know the answer for your unique lifestyle.

But many American’s spend unnecessary money on the following items. If this is you, can you eliminate or reduce spending in one or more category?!:

• all beverages (you only need to drink good quality water)
• including alcohol (a bad habit that’s a crutch for not feeling well)
• and regular coffee out (a bad habit that’s a crutch for not feeling well)
• entertainment (stay home, read more books, exercise more, use your imagination)
• clothing/new shoes (yes, restraint is needed here)
• car payments (do you drive the least expensive car possible that’s still reliable?)
• credit card interest (see Dave Ramsey’s site for help getting out of debt; his advice is awesome, and it works)
• convenience foods
• a higher mortgage than you need to pay (are you living outside your means?)
• restaurant food (usually full of vegetable oil and not made with organic ingredients or good meat)
• technology: cable, streaming, video games, tech gadgets …
• equipment: sports equipment, photographic supplies, hunting and fishing, bikes, boats (are they the latest and greatest, can you buy used equipment, are you living outside your means to buy these things?)
• cell phone (can you switch plans or use less data?)

I know this gets quite personal. But I do encourage you to be self-reflective. Where can you cut spending? Likely, it will bring you joy to do so.

Eating well is joyful, and it’s preventative medicine. There are few things more worth our investment.

Idea #3. Shop for cheaper groceries: with 5 tips!

Yes, shopping for cheaper groceries is still a thing! — even when buying organic and grass-finished meats. Below are 5 tips, each expounded upon with a lot of detail, that I hope you’ll find super helpful.

1. Use the most economical meat and vegetables you have on hand or can access.

• Can you access wild game? If so, use it in place of other meats in recipes. Hunt or fish if you can! It’s almost free meat, and it’s omega-3 profile is excellent. Wild game is usually better or equal to grass-finished meat’s quality, plus comes from happy, wild animals.

• Grow vegetables, and freeze or ferment extras. I know not everyone can garden, but if you can grow in pots, or begin gardening more, this saves a lot of money and can greatly decrease the vegetable grocery bill at least 2 seasons out of the year. Learn how to ferment your extra veggies. The outcome is healthy and easy to store.
• Buy bulk vegetables and dry goods from local distributors. (These are the organic companies that sell to grocery stores.) Look for local distributors in your area from whom to buy boxes of vegetables and bags of dry goods. You’ll be so surprised and excited! There’s a whole world beyond grocery stores that’s MUCH cheaper and fun to access. At the very least, shop at places like Costco for large quantities of organic produce at a reduced price.
  • You may need to buy through a co-op or even form your own to buy from bulk suppliers.
  • Examples of bulk suppliers that function as co-ops are: Azure Standard and UNFI.
  • To form your own co-op, a group of people pool their orders to create a larger one that meets a company’s minimum order size. When delivered, the group must divide and distribute the order. This is easy, fun and community oriented.
  • You may also like to order from All Bulk Foods or Nuts.com.
• Consider getting annual CSA boxes that support a local farm and offer local, in-season produce at a reduced price.
• As mentioned above and in greater detail here, buy grass-finished meats in bulk, from local farmers or through the mail. (If through the mail, I recommend Cooks Venture [here] for all cuts of pastured chicken and ground beef.)

2. Which produce items can safely be purchased from conventional growers?

• Avocados, eggplants, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbages and asparagus! See this list for the Clean 15 and this for the Dirty Dozen list.

3. Go to certain markets for the best dairy.

Dairy products from feed lots are dangerous food, high in omega 6s, full of antibiotics that cause antibiotic resistance in humans and lacking in the essential nutrients we find in pasture-raised dairy: vitamins K2, D and E. We need to budget for slightly more expensive, quality dairy and then choose the best prices on those quality products.

• Buy Kerrygold butter, (unless you make your own from A2, raw, pasture-raised cream). Kerrygold is the best pasture-raised butter available commercially. In our town, I buy Kerrygold from Costco or Trader Joe’s for the best price. Trader Joe’s is better because they offer unsalted butter. While sea salt is health food, salted butters, including Kerrygold’s, usually use table salt, which contains additives like fluoride and bleaching agents. I simply sprinkle sea salt on my unsalted butter. (I have personally tried out many European butters and organic butters and find Kerrygold’s to be the gentlest.)
• Find a local, sustainable, preferably raw milk, farmer for cream. If you can’t access pasture-raised raw cream, be sure to avoid ultra-pasteurized cream, and look for the best you can find. The A2A2 company is a newer option that’s decent, but sadly, they package in plastic. U.S. residents, find raw, pasture-raised milk listings for your state HERE. Some of these farms also produce grass-finished meats, honey and more. (Look here to see if Straus is sold in your area. It is excellent.)
• For cheese, look for French cheese from Trader Joe’s, or buy Kerrygold cheddar from Costco or your local discount store. French cheese is A2 and pasture-raised, so it makes shopping for cheese easier. Trader Joe’s has the best prices in our town on French cheeses.

4. Eat lots of pasture-raised eggs and ground beef.

Most of you know this trick already, but it’s amazing how many Americans fall back on eating a lot of chicken breasts — instead of eggs and ground beef. Chicken isn’t a very healthy meat, and it’s expensive. (Stop buying cheap chicken.) Bulk ground beef can be VERY cheap (and it’s super healthy) if you find the right local farmer.

• Use eggs in place of meat for some meals, because they’re more affordable. While many recipes have meat as the centerpiece, pasture-raised eggs are less expensive and offer great nutrition: Vitamins D, E, K2, B12, folate, riboflavin, zinc, calcium, choline and omega3 fatty acids. To avoid a food sensitivity to eggs, eat them only 6 days a week, or less.
• Consider raising chickens if you have the space. The initial cost can be expensive, so here’s how to raise chickens cheaply. You’ll have more eggs than you know what to do with, but you can freeze eggs, and share with neighbors. What a great problem to have when trying to save money on groceries!
• Find a local farmer, and buy half a cow (or a quarter). You might need to invest in a chest freezer (look for a good used one), but that investment will be paid off quickly by buying meat in bulk. You may also need to budget ahead of time. It’s a lot of money all at once. But save up, and you’ll save in the long run.

5. Keep meals simple, and avoid snack foods.

• Stick to the whole food ingredients that your simple meals and recipes require. Avoid fancy products. Instead, focus on basic quality. Grow herbs if you can to add beauty and flavor.
• Avoid buying snack foods and packaged foods at the grocery store, even if they’re on sale.
• Make foods like yogurt homemade instead of from the grocery store. Homemade yogurt is very inexpensive.
• Batch cooking can help reduce the need to buy snack foods. Snack foods are often purchased because they’re convenient when someone’s hungry now. Take half a day each week to make a bunch of beef jerky, quick breads or even a batch of rice pudding. Make sure everyone in the family knows where the cucumber peeler is. 😉 They can always snack on cukes!
• Cheap recipes to make:
  • Standard and gluten-free ideas: Oat Bread, oatmeal or Buckwheat, pot of rice or Rice Pudding, pot of beans, Waffles, Yogurt
  • Paleo ideas: Coconut Flour Bread is inexpensive, Zucchini Bread, Sourdough Bread (make this with inexpensive raw seeds instead of nuts to save money), Tahini Brownies, already baked winter squash or Pumpkin Custard made with it, Pumpkin Scones (this recipe makes a big batch)
  • If you need more affordable snack recipe ideas for your unique diet, comment below, and I’m happy to help.
  • Although chicken isn’t cheap, batch cooking it ahead of time can help prevent spending more on eating out, because it’s ready and it’s easy. Here’s Meal Prep Chicken Thighs, great for fridge or freezer storage and fast meals or snacks.
  • Affordable ground beef recipes: 15-Minute Asian Beef Bowl, 15-Minute Greek Bowls, tomato (or Nomato) sauce with ground meat and noodles. Meatballs are a great way to change up ground meat recipes: Asian Meatballs Sheet Pan Dinner, Meatball Korma Curry or Middle Eastern Lamb Stew (may also be made with beef).
  • Make Veggie Bisque Soups with meat stock (cheap), and add optional meatballs or ground meat. Veggie bisques can use very inexpensive vegetables like carrots, leftover carcasses that are free and be spiked with special cheap ingredients to add excitement to the recipe. See this Carrot Mint Bisque with Ginger for an excellent recipe and example.

How to make a grocery budget? Let’s review!

Action items from this post:

1. Get a budget app on your phone. This is the free one we use.
2. Create a budget. Cut spending on non-essential categories and on random items. Budget for grass-finished meats.
3. Save money on groceries by planning ahead:
   • buy in bulk from organic distributors and local farmers
   • shop certain stores for the best prices on dairy
   • avoid snack foods
   • batch cook cheap carbs
   • choose simple recipes with basic ingredients

What are your grocery budget tips to share with others? How do you save money buying real food and quality meats?

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