Feb 26 2017
Seek organic whenever possible, but choose “the Dirty Dozen†first.
Seek organic whenever possible, but choose “the Dirty Dozen†first.
Some fruits and vegetables retain more pesticide residues than others. Know what they are so you can choose wisely.Â
Last week we looked at ten steps you can take in your daily diet to “clean up your act.†The idea is to take ten measures in your daily life to get healthier. Once you master those, pick ten more! By taking these “baby steps†it helps us to slowly make lifestyle changes that will result in a healthier gut and healthier body for the long term. In keeping with that theme of replacing certain foods or activities with healthier ones, let’s look at the foods in your diet that you should replace with organic alternatives. Some produce, when grown with conventional means, absorb or retain pesticide residues more than others, so their organic counterparts should be sought.*
If you can buy only organic all the time, it is healthier for your body over your life span. Our organs don’t know what to do with pesticides and poisons, so years of consumption can lead to possible unwanted health issues. (This is why taking BODY BIOTICS™ Bio-Identical SBO Probiotics Consortia™ daily is so important as it helps clean up some of these unwanted toxins in the body and help eliminate them from the body.) But not everyone has access to good organic produce in their communities, and oftentimes it can be cost prohibitive. So if you, like many people, need to pick and choose, here are some guidelines for your decision making process.(1,2,3)*
Each year, the Environmental Working Group releases a list of what they call the “Dirty Dozen. †This list is based on their evaluation of a wide variety of crops, and they rank them highest to lowest in terms of pesticides. They updated their list for 2016, which is below. This is a list of fruits and vegetables, ranked highest to lowest. In other words, those at the top of the list are the highest in pesticide residues, while those at the bottom have the least. The top 12 would be considered the “Dirty Dozen.†The bottom 15 would be “the Clean Fifteen,†and there are some in the middle. (2,3)*
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Celery
- Grapes
- Cherries
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Sweet bell peppers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Snap peas – imported
- Blueberries – domestic
- Potatoes
- Hot peppersÂ
- Lettuce
- Kale / collard greensÂ
- Blueberries – imported
- Green beans
- Plums
- Pears
- Raspberries
- Carrots
- Winter squash
- Tangerines
- Summer squash*
- Snap peas – domestic
- Green onions
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Watermelon
- Broccoli
- Sweet potatoes
- Mushrooms
- Cauliflower
- Cantaloupe
- Grapefruit
- Honeydew melon
- Eggplant
- Kiwi
- Papayas*
- Mangos
- Asparagus
- Onions
- Sweet peas frozen
- Cabbage
- Pineapples
- Sweet Corn*
- Avocados3*
It is important to note that sweet corn, summer squash and papaya sold in the United States is often produced from GMO seeds. Avoiding GMOs is also important, so buy organic varieties of these crops if you aim to avoid GMOs in your diet…which you should!3*
So what does it mean to eat organic? According to one organic farmer, “…We do not use any insecticides, herbicides or fungicides. We do not use genetically modified seeds and all of our fertilizers are organic. The organic fruit or vegetable may not be the prettiest at the market but it is certainly the cleanest and grown with much care and attention…â€1*
So remember, it is important to get plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet. You don’t want to avoid them if you can’t buy organic, but organic fruits and vegetables are healthier for our bodies. Organic farming is also better for the planet and it is healthier for the farmers that grow them for us. As the demand for organic produce continues to go up, more farms will rise to meet the demand, which will be a good thing for the consumers and the entire industry as a whole.*
Healthiest wishes,
Kelli
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