the Top 10 Foods to Eat Organic
10 Jun 2010
You’ve heard me many times stressing the importance of keeping your
body as “clean”(de-toxified) as possible-it is of paramount importance
for cancer prevention, increased focusing and concentrating ability
and decreasing degeneration which results in speeding up aging and
disease. One sure way to do all this is by avoiding Pesticides in
Your Produce-at least as much as you can…
…so, here are the Top 10 Foods to Eat Organic:
Much of the food that we consume on a daily basis contains pesticide
residues. While the FDA has regulations over the safe amount of
pesticide content in any food, the levels are particularly worrisome
in certain produce. While the consumption of these foods has been
shown to have no adverse affects in the short term, it has been shown
that high levels of these toxins found in the body over time can cause
all sorts of illness and disease.
While striving to eat organic is always something important, it is
often difficult, inconvenient; and can become quite costly. Because
not everyone can afford to go the 100% organic route every time they
shop, there are certain foods that experts say are more important to
eat organic than others. This is because they have high levels of
pesticide residues even after being washed and readied for
consumption. In fact, their toxin content is so high that nutrition
experts recommend only eating these foods when and if they can be
purchased organic.
Below is a list of the top 10 offenders, some of the nasty toxins they
contain, and ideal alternatives when organic can’t be found.
Strawberries
Main Nutrient: Vitamin C
Pesticide Residues These Often Contain: Strawberries have high levels
of fungicides, some of which are classified by the EPA as probable
human carcinogens. They are also frequently contaminated with
endosulfan, a chemical that interferes with normal hormone function by
imitating the hormone estrogen.
Healthy Alternatives: oranges, grapefruit, kiwifruit, watermelon
Spinach
Main Nutrient: Iron, Vitamins A and C
Pesticide Residues These Often Contain: Because spinach is often grown
in mediocre growing conditions, the crops are more susceptible to
insect damage and mildew. To prevent these problems from ruining their
harvests farmers use high amounts of pesticides and fungicides. As a
result spinach is exceptionally high in DDT, permethrin, chlorthalonil
and other cancer causing pesticides.
Healthy Alternatives: kale, swiss chard, broccoli, brussels sprouts,
asparagus
Peaches
Main Nutrient: Vitamins A and C
Pesticide Residues These Often Contain: This fruit has a heavy dose of
the cancer causing fungicides captan and iprodione, and the neurotoxic
pesticide methyl parathion, which are used to combat insects.
Healthy Alternatives: nectarines, watermelon, tangerines, oranges,
grapefruit
Apples
Main Nutrient: Vitamin C
Pesticide Residues These Often Contain: To keep apples so pretty and
shiny as we have come to see them in the grocery store, it takes a lot
of pesticides, fungicides and petroleum oil. Common pesticide residues
found on apples, are Chlorpyrifos, Diphenylamine, Captan, Carbendazim
and Thiabendazole.
Healthy Alternatives: watermelon, nectarines, bananas, tangerines
Pears
Main Nutrient: Vitamin A, Potassium
Pesticide Residues These Often Contain: Similar to apples, in order to
have aesthetically pleasing pears great deals of insecticides need to
be used. Common pesticides found on your average pear include:
Carbendazim, Chlormequat, Dithiocarbamates, Tolylfluanid, Captan.
Healthy Alternatives: canned pears, canned peaches, oranges
Celery
Main Nutrient: Carotenoids
Pesticide Residues These Often Contain: As celery is primarily made up
of water, it is no wonder that it absorbs anything and everything
around it; this includes toxins and water found in the soil around it.
As a result it is a major source of exposure to neurotoxic pesticides
and the probable human carcinogen, chlorthalonil.
Healthy Alternatives: carrots, broccoli, radishes, romaine lettuce
