We are many and we want food. It's a fact and a reality!
Thanks to improvements in farming, shipping and distribution, in our civilized world today we enjoy a wider selection of fresh products than ever before.
But, how can you have so many fruits and vegetables in a short time to satisfy such a huge demand? Simply, you introduce whatever chemicals that will make them grow faster and bigger and clean of bugs or any disease.
They are clean of bugs and disease that save them from dying before reaching our houses, but are they clean enough for us?
Thanks to improvements in farming, shipping and distribution, in our civilized world today we enjoy a wider selection of fresh products than ever before.
But, how can you have so many fruits and vegetables in a short time to satisfy such a huge demand? Simply, you introduce whatever chemicals that will make them grow faster and bigger and clean of bugs or any disease.
They are clean of bugs and disease that save them from dying before reaching our houses, but are they clean enough for us?
As much as 80% of all packaged foods contain genetically modified organisms. The fact is that you and your family are likely eating GMO's and don't even know it.
On a test done by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – 98% of the 8 most popular fruits and vegetables contain pesticides.
The study revealed that apples topped the list with 98 percent testing positive for a pesticide and 92 percent testing positive for two or more pesticides. Coming in second was celery, with more than 95 percent testing positive for at least one pesticide.
Others on the list of shame include: strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines, grapes, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries, lettuce and kale or collard greens.
Pesticides are toxic. They are designed to kill things and most are not good for you.
The Food and Drug Administration offers several tips for cleaning both fresh and organic produce, including:
- Wash fruits and vegetables under running water just before eating or cooking.
- Use a brush to scrub produce with hard surfaces, such as melons and cucumbers.
- Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables before preparing or eating.
In fact, fruits and vegetables on the highest levels list below contain 47 to 67 pesticides per serving.
The dirty dozen
When it comes to these items, try to buy these in organic form to avoid the excessive amounts of pesticide.
1. Strawberries
2. Celery
3. Apples
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines
7. Kale/collard greens
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Lettuce
10. Blueberries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes
The clean 15
These 15 produce items are known by the EWG as the “clean 15″. They have the least amount of pesticides and would be considered the items to buy if you can’t afford to go completely organic.
1. Grapefruit
2. Sweet corn (This is generally GMO, so you may want to always stick to organic with corn)
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Mushrooms
6. Cantaloupe
7. Sweet potatoes
8. Eggplant
9. Sweet peas
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Mangoes
14. Onions
15. Asparagus
Lately, I noticed so much information on whatever this and that product contains in terms of chemicals not good for the body. If you live in the city and more in an apartment, not a house, your chances of cultivating natural products are drastically reduced. You have to buy and if you buy, you have to choose whatever is on the market. If you choose organic – you are limiting your intake of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides! On the other side - organic is more expensive.
I want you to see also the other side of the coin…
3. Apples
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines
7. Kale/collard greens
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Lettuce
10. Blueberries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes
The clean 15
These 15 produce items are known by the EWG as the “clean 15″. They have the least amount of pesticides and would be considered the items to buy if you can’t afford to go completely organic.
1. Grapefruit
2. Sweet corn (This is generally GMO, so you may want to always stick to organic with corn)
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Mushrooms
6. Cantaloupe
7. Sweet potatoes
8. Eggplant
9. Sweet peas
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Mangoes
14. Onions
15. Asparagus
Lately, I noticed so much information on whatever this and that product contains in terms of chemicals not good for the body. If you live in the city and more in an apartment, not a house, your chances of cultivating natural products are drastically reduced. You have to buy and if you buy, you have to choose whatever is on the market. If you choose organic – you are limiting your intake of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides! On the other side - organic is more expensive.
I want you to see also the other side of the coin…
If you can’t afford everything…you just can’t…, are there any other solutions out there?
Look up online for fruits and vegetables that are “in season” as this will save you money too and give you new ideas for making “seasonal juices”. When you choose your fruits and vegetables, do NOT buy bulk. Depending on your routine … you don’t want to waste your money by letting fruits and veggies go bad.
When buying fruit and veggies, always soak them in a 1:4 ratio of vinegar or fresh lemon jus and water to help remove toxins and pesticides. Leave them soaking for up to an hour, longer with non-organic fruits and veggies. At the end of the bath, sometimes you can even see cloudy stuff in the water from the skins and waxes, and dirt on the bottom.
It seems this process also increases the lifespan of fruits and veggies.
Good luck in eating clean!
Source: http://eartheasy.com/eat_pesticides_produce.htm
http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list/
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/genetically-modified-foods-get-facts#cmpid_FB_Link
Look up online for fruits and vegetables that are “in season” as this will save you money too and give you new ideas for making “seasonal juices”. When you choose your fruits and vegetables, do NOT buy bulk. Depending on your routine … you don’t want to waste your money by letting fruits and veggies go bad.
When buying fruit and veggies, always soak them in a 1:4 ratio of vinegar or fresh lemon jus and water to help remove toxins and pesticides. Leave them soaking for up to an hour, longer with non-organic fruits and veggies. At the end of the bath, sometimes you can even see cloudy stuff in the water from the skins and waxes, and dirt on the bottom.
It seems this process also increases the lifespan of fruits and veggies.
Good luck in eating clean!
Source: http://eartheasy.com/eat_pesticides_produce.htm
http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list/
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/genetically-modified-foods-get-facts#cmpid_FB_Link