Toxins in our Foods / When to Buy Organic

For those of you who have watched the news as of late, you may have seen the story on spinach and kale? Well, if you haven’t, let’s recap:

USA reports, “The leafy greens are ranked second and third, respectively, on Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen, a list of the fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residue.”

"'Nearly 70 percent of the produce sold in the U.S. comes with pesticide residues,' the EWG said in its 2019 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, which analyzes U.S. Department of Agriculture test data."

This is a huge problem.

Why?

More and more research is coming out linking toxins in our food, such as pesticides, to cancer and infertility. Not to mention the health impacts it has on our children as well. A study done by the National Institute of Health, found that there were higher incidences of birth defects in children born on [Minnesota] farms in the 90’s - particularly in those infants who were conceived in the spring when herbicide use was at its peak. Although this is just a correlation and not causation, there are other various studies with similar observations and skeptical conclusions.

So what to do?

Check out the Dirty Dozen list! The EWG updates a list of toxin-ridden foods every year, which lets you know what to buy ORGANIC. Here it is:

1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Kale
4. Nectarines
5. Apples
6. Grapes
7. Peach
8. Cherries
9. Pears
10. Tomatoes
11. Celery
12. Potatoes

Note: Even when purchasing organic, that does not necessarily mean cross contamination didn’t occur. Wash these puppies in a vinegar or baking soda bath! Instructions on that here. This can (and should) be applied to non-organic fruits and vegetables as well, as rinsing these under running water only decreases the chemical load by 25%. The great thing about vinegar is that it has multiple purposes! So buy it in bulk and use it for cleaning too! Yes, vinegar is one of thee BEST cleaning agents around and should be used instead of all other all-purpose cleaners. More on the "why" to come. Stay tuned for my upcoming blog post on "toxins outside our foods" to learn more.

​To start being proactive on your toxic load, purchase the White, distilled, 5% acidity vinegar here. 

References:

1. Vincent F. Garry, et alt. Birth Defects, Season of Conception, and Sex of Children Born to Pesticide Applicators Living in the Red River Valley of Minnesota, USA. Endocrine Disruptors, June 2002. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/pdf/10.1289/ehp.02110s3441

 

1. Meyer, Zlati. Pesticides in food: Strawberries, spinach, kale have the most residue, a new report finds. USA Today, March 2019. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/03/20/pesticides-food-report-strawberries-spinach-kale-have-most/3178844002/