Reduce exposure to toxic chemicals by avoiding “dirty dozen” fruits and veggies.
As we learn to choose the right foods to look younger and healthier, we also need to become aware of the source of our foods. In addition to vitamins and minerals, many of our fresh fruits, vegetables and meat come with an unhealthy dose of pesticides. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are currently more than 865 registered pesticides. Most doctors agree that toxic levels of pesticides can cause pesticide poisoning and have been linked to a number of diseases.
"Pesticides, while designed specifically to kill certain organisms, are also associated with a host of very serious health problems in people, including neurological deficits, ADHD, endocrine system disruption and cancer," said Andrew Weil, MD, Founder and Director, Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.
Pesticide-free organic foods may be unavailable, or even unaffordable. However, there are ways you can reduce your pesticide exposure by be a smart shopper. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), consumers can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80 percent by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating only the cleanest. Since 1995, the EWG has published a list of the “dirty dozen” of foods most contaminated with pesticides. For most foods, it is impossible to eliminate pesticides by washing, or even through cooking To reduce your exposure to pesticides, avoid items or this list, or choose organic sources. The current list of the dirty dozen foods to avoid includes:
• Apples
• Celery
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Spinach
• Nectarines
• Grapes
• Sweet bell peppers
• Potatoes
• Blueberries
• Lettuce
• Kale/collard greens
Conversely, you can balance your exposure to pesticides and chemicals by choosing those fruits and vegetables that have been shown to have low levels. The fifteen fruits and veggies with the lowest levels of pesticides are:
• Onions
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapples
• Avocado
• Asparagus
• Sweet peas
• Mangoes
• Eggplant
• Cantaloupe
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Watermelon
• Sweet potatoes
• Grapefruit
• Mushrooms
Foods that come from animal sources are exposed to chemicals through the foods they eat as well as through chemicals that are injected into them Meat is a source of large amounts of harmful chemicals. In addition to the pesticides on the food cattle and pigs are fed, raising animals in the current conventional mode means using hormones to speed growth, and antibiotics to resist disease. In the wild, fish are exposed to toxins from pollutions in our waterways. However farm raised seafood and fish are not always a safe alternative, as they are exposed to the same chemicals as live stock.
And don’t forget eggs, milk and cheese. The hormones, pesticides and other man-made chemicals along the food chain make milk, milk products and eggs another cause for concern, especially for young children.
As we learn to choose the right foods to look younger and healthier, we also need to become aware of the source of our foods. In addition to vitamins and minerals, many of our fresh fruits, vegetables and meat come with an unhealthy dose of pesticides. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are currently more than 865 registered pesticides. Most doctors agree that toxic levels of pesticides can cause pesticide poisoning and have been linked to a number of diseases.
"Pesticides, while designed specifically to kill certain organisms, are also associated with a host of very serious health problems in people, including neurological deficits, ADHD, endocrine system disruption and cancer," said Andrew Weil, MD, Founder and Director, Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.
Pesticide-free organic foods may be unavailable, or even unaffordable. However, there are ways you can reduce your pesticide exposure by be a smart shopper. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), consumers can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80 percent by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating only the cleanest. Since 1995, the EWG has published a list of the “dirty dozen” of foods most contaminated with pesticides. For most foods, it is impossible to eliminate pesticides by washing, or even through cooking To reduce your exposure to pesticides, avoid items or this list, or choose organic sources. The current list of the dirty dozen foods to avoid includes:
• Apples
• Celery
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Spinach
• Nectarines
• Grapes
• Sweet bell peppers
• Potatoes
• Blueberries
• Lettuce
• Kale/collard greens
Conversely, you can balance your exposure to pesticides and chemicals by choosing those fruits and vegetables that have been shown to have low levels. The fifteen fruits and veggies with the lowest levels of pesticides are:
• Onions
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapples
• Avocado
• Asparagus
• Sweet peas
• Mangoes
• Eggplant
• Cantaloupe
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Watermelon
• Sweet potatoes
• Grapefruit
• Mushrooms
Foods that come from animal sources are exposed to chemicals through the foods they eat as well as through chemicals that are injected into them Meat is a source of large amounts of harmful chemicals. In addition to the pesticides on the food cattle and pigs are fed, raising animals in the current conventional mode means using hormones to speed growth, and antibiotics to resist disease. In the wild, fish are exposed to toxins from pollutions in our waterways. However farm raised seafood and fish are not always a safe alternative, as they are exposed to the same chemicals as live stock.
And don’t forget eggs, milk and cheese. The hormones, pesticides and other man-made chemicals along the food chain make milk, milk products and eggs another cause for concern, especially for young children.
