2020’s Dirty Dozen List – What to do When You Can’t Buy Organic Produce

Source: Olearys

It’s always best to go organic with your foods, especially with your fruits and vegetables. But there are times when the budget is really tight or our options are very limited. What do we do then? Do we just give up our health? Or not eat any produce at all if non organic is our only option?

The quick answer is “No”. We don’t have to give up either!

Let’s face it, most of us need MORE fruits and vegetables in our diet…not less. So nixing them is not an option. But what about the pesticides and chemicals coating the non organic produce?

That’s where the “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean 15” lists can come to help you. Taking these with you to the grocery store can help you find the MOST and LEAST chemically laden produce when you can’t buy organic all the way.

 

2020 Dirty Dozen

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

 

2020 Clean Fifteen

  1. Avocado
  2. Sweet Corn*
  3. Pineapple
  4. Onions
  5. Papaya*
  6. Frozen Sweet Peas
  7. Eggplant
  8. Asparagus
  9. Cauliflower
  10. Cantaloupe
  11. Broccoli
  12. Mushrooms
  13. Cabbage
  14. Honeydew
  15. Kiwi

* Note: Some sweet corn, papaya and summer squash sold in the United States are GMOs, so choose organic to avoid GMOs.

 

 

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

Are Our “Healthy” Foods Truly Healthy?

bigstock--133477370

It is essential to our body’s health that we eat good foods. This, I believe, is something on which we can all agree. But are our “healthy” foods also making us sick?

It is agreed in our nation that we should be getting lots of fruits and vegetables in our diet. That’s healthy, right? But have we actually given much thought to how our fruits and vegetables are grown? And to what goes on them?

For years, the way crops in the U.S. have been grown and harvested to produce more yield and to speed the process of harvesting, has been causing more harm to our bodies than good. Produce grown on conventional farms are sprayed with pesticides and chemicals to kill bugs and make the harvesting process easier. However, those chemicals are killing more than just insects that seek to eat our produce. Those pesticides and chemicals contain the deadly active ingredient: glyphosate. Scientific studies are showing that these chemicals are not only killing the bad bacteria in the soil, but it is also toxic to the good bacteria. Healthy soil repels bugs because it grows at a frequency that bugs cannot digest. When we grow our food in healthy soil with proper PH, we shouldn’t have such a pest problem. And that is what we are putting into our bodies when we eat the foods that have been treated with pesticides and other chemicals.

What To Do?

So how can we avoid all of this in our food? While we may not be able to completely rid ourselves of these chemicals, here are some steps we can take to lessen our exposure to them:

1. Buy Organic When Possible

Though it is more expensive, buying foods such as wheat, berries, apples, grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach and peppers organically would be a better option.

2. Wash Fruits and Vegetables

When buying conventional fruits and vegetables, be sure and wash them under water, rubbing them with your fingers. This will help to get rid of the residue from the pesticides.

3. Grow Your Own Garden

There are many advantages to growing your own food. It can save you money, and you know where it comes from and can be in control over what is sprayed on it. Though it can be hard to keep bugs away from your garden, there are natural and harmless things you can try. Some farms use Basil oil on their plants to deter little pests.

Something else we can do is to check the sugar content of our produce to see if it is grown properly. Dr. Carey Reams reveals that food grown properly WILL NOT rot, but dehydrate.

 

 

References:

draxe.com

foodmatters.com

thehealthyhomeeconomist.com

healthytipsworld.com