Healthy Eating Tips - TOP PICKS FOR ORGANIC PRODUCE

Here’s a disturbing idea: the more fruits and vegetables you eat, the more DAMAGE you could be doing to your body.

Totally counter to what we have always been told, right? Well, if you consume inorganic produce, the more you eat, the more pesticides you are putting in your body.

I began making organics a priority after I read this quote in the Washington Post in February 1999: “As little as a single serving of some popular fruits and vegetables may contain enough harmful chemicals to exceed government health standards, according to a study by Consumers Union, publisher of the magazine Consumer Reports” .

Today, it’s easier than ever to find reasonably priced organic items. In the past even a wilted head of organic lettuce was tough to come by, but these days you can buy a wide range of organic products at your local grocery store. Safeway even has their own line of “O Organics” that includes everything from salsa to cookies.

The growing market for organics has brought down prices tremendously and the more we buy the lower they will continue to go. And as always, Farmer’s Markets are a fantastic way to get economically priced, clean produce.

Another great way to save money on organics is to buy frozen organic fruits and veggies, particularly when you are looking for something that is out of season. Or, shop for what is in season and then wash and freeze these seasonal items yourself.

If you do end up having to pay a bit more for some organic items, I really hope you can get past the dollar sign by taking a moment to think about what the cost is to your body, your children’s bodies, each time you gulp a glass of juice loaded with pesticides, or serve a salad ridden with toxins. This isn’t hype – it’s a fact.

But I wash my fruits and vegetables, you say. It’s not enough. Washing doesn’t remove all the pesticides and it can’t penetrate to remove the toxins that have soaked into the food. Also, take something like a banana – just having it in a fruit bowl contaminates everything the dirty peel touches. How often have you washed your banana before putting it in the bowl or handing it to your child?

I try to eat 100% organically. I try – I don’t make myself crazy with it. But my feeling is. why ingest poison if you can choose not to? If nothing else, be sure to go organic on all items you eat on a regular basis to help avoid accumulation of toxins in muscle or fat tissue.

To get you started on your own orgasmic, organic journey, I’ve made a list of the WORST foods – those that you should only eat organically because they are so ridden with carcinogens. With these, you’re better off not eating them at all than eating conventionally grown.

TOP FRUITS TO BUY ORGANIC:

- PEACHES: Absolutely lousy with pesticide
- STRAWBERRIES: They may look pretty but strawberries are at the top of the dirty list
- RASPBERRIES
- APPLES : Apple juice too, my darlings
- GRAPES : Make sense to also buy only organic raisins and grape juice too (be sure to also think about the many other juices that have grape juice added to them)
- APRICOTS
- PEARS
- CHERRIES
- LEMONS: If you use these for zesting its essential to use organic
- LIMES
- BANANAS: Thiabendazole which damages the brain and nervous system is slathered on Nanners to protect them on their trip to America. Just the peel alone can contaminate everything else it comes in contact with I your kitchen.
- CANTALOUPE
- TOMATOES: Think twice about your marinara, salsas…
- CARROTS

TOP VEGETABLES TO BUY ORGANIC:

- GREEN BEANS: These are one of the absolute worst. They are treated with Acephate, Benomyl, Chlorothalonil, and Methamidophos which damage the brain and nervous system and can cause birth defects
- CORN: Corn is usually genetically modified (crappy in and of itself) and GM foods have even more pesticides than other crops.
- POTATOES
- CELERY
- CUCUMBERS
- SPINACH
- LETTUCE
- GREEN & RED BELL PEPPERS
- HOT PEPPERS

A FEW OTHER DIRTY ITEMS…

- RICE: Loaded with pesticides
- OATS: Eating Quaker brand? Might want to switch to organic– oats are one of the most heavily sprayed crops
- MILK: Antibiotics and hormones are crammed into conventional milk cows to increase production and profits.
- BABY FOOD: Give your babe the right start- buy organic baby food or make your own from organic produce
- NUTS: Because they have a high fat content nuts “hold on tight” to any pesticides that might be used

ORGANIC FRUITS AND VEGGIES ARE MORE NUTRITIOUS

Besides the toxins you avoid with organics, organic fruits and veggies have higher levels of anti-oxidants and tend to have more flavor than their conventional counterparts. Because fruits and vegetables grown without pesticides have to “fend for themselves” they develop more anti-bodies to protect themselves from bugs. When you eat them you are getting the benefit of these increased levels of anti-bodies and anti-oxidants.

One last thing-there always seems to be someone at the party who rolls their eyes when you tell them you eat organically. They’ll call you a snob or a granola or whatever. Just graciously raise your glass of organic juice and toast your health as they guzzle down a thirst-quenching shot of Raid.

Xoxo,
Health Sundae

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