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Organic Food No Healthier Than Conventional?

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Everywhere you turn lately, it seems more and more foods are being labeled organic. It's definitely been a huge craze, although sales have fallen since the recession. Sales may fall even further after people hear about a new study published Wednesday that states organic doesn't mean healthier when it comes to nutrition

A review of 162 scientific studies carried out over the past 50 years found no significant difference between organic and conventional in regards to health benefits. Although, individual studies have found organic produce is higher in vitamin C than conventional produce. There have been similar findings when comparing the antioxidant levels of organic tomatoes with conventional, with the organic ones containing almost twice as many healthful nutrients.

So if your main concern is quality of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, then there's no need to spend the extra dough. However, if you're worried about ingesting chemical pesticides, or want to support farming practices that have the least negative impact on our planet, then continue to splurge on organic foods.

Tell me, will this news change your grocery shopping habits?

Source: Flickr User A.D.A. ~ Anna Duncan Art

What Organic Produce Is Worth the Price?

FitSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Since it's Earth Day, I thought it would be a fittingly green time to review our produce-buying options. Organic produce can be way more expensive than conventional produce, but some fruits and vegetables you should always try to buy organic, no matter what. Be a smart shopper by knowing when it's worth the higher price and when you can save your money and put the conventional produce in your cart. Need a refresher? Take my quiz!

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To Wash or Not to Wash?

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:00:00 -0700

I was talking to a friend this weekend who said she rarely washes her produce, and frankly, I was shocked. She said that since she always buys organic, she doesn't have to worry about pesticides, and wonders if washing really does any good anyway.

In fact, washing fruits and vegetables makes a difference whether you're buying organic or not. Even if your produce hasn't been touched by pesticides, it has been touched by lots of people and traveled through many different places. As a result, even organic produce could carry bacteria such as listeria and salmonella. For that reason, you should even wash fruits you peel, such as bananas and lemons, so that the bacteria isn't transferred from your hands to your food.

Though there's no guarantee that washing your produce will eliminate all chance of contamination, rinsing it under running water helps blast away impurities. For more on how and why to wash, read more.

When washing fruit and vegetables, make sure your hands are clean, and cut away any bruised or damaged sections from the fruit or veggie.
It's also important to store perishable produce, such as strawberries and lettuce, in a sufficiently cool place so as not to breed more bacteria.
Since the outside tends to get dirtier than the inside, it does help to peel away the outer layers of a head of lettuce.
As for prebagged lettuce that is marketed as "prewashed" or "triple-washed," the FDA says you do not need to rewash it, but other experts say you should. Since it won't hurt you to rewash bagged lettuce, I say why not?

What's your take on washing produce? Do you wash all the fruits and veggies that come through your kitchen? What about prewashed salad mix and fruits that you peel?

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12 Foods With High Amounts of Pesticides

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:00:00 -0700

With all this talk about getting our daily servings of fruits and veggies, we may forget about other concerns on those foods aside from nutrients: pesticides, some of which have been classified as cancer-causing agents.

I eat a lot of fruits and veggies so I do my best to avoid pesticides but some foods have more than others, and it's hard to keep track. In an effort to make your next trip to the grocery store a little easier, here are the top twelve fruits and vegetables that contain the greatest amounts of pesticide residue:

peaches
strawberries
apples
spinach
nectarines
celery
pears
cherries
potatoes
sweet bell peppers
raspberries
grapes (imported)

Looking to get the least pesticides in your diet? Then read more.

To avoid pesticides altogether your best bet is to buy organic foods - definitely those on the above list, if not all fruits and veggies. If you're not quite there yet, then you should wash and peel any of the above fruits and vegetables (that can be peeled) to reduce the amount of pesticides found on the food.

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Strawberries: In Season Now and So Good for You

FitSugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 14:45:00 -0700

In case you aren't already in love with strawberries, I have some reasons to get the love fest with this berry started!!! They are a low calorie food loaded like a billionaire, with antioxidants known as phenols. These phenols not only give strawberries their irresistible red color, but also provide heart-protective, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties to this berry. A veritable trifecta of benefits.

The other superlative characteristic of strawberries is the amount of vitamin C they contain. One cup of berries provides well over 125% of the daily RDI of vitamin C. Now you might recall, that organic fruits contain more vitamin C so I think it is well worth it to buy organic strawberries. Another reason to go organic with these berries is they have been found to have the highest amounts of pesticide residue when compared with other produce. Strawberry season is here so the cost of a pint should be falling and they should be abundant at your local farmer's market.

Now I am sure you already know the joys of strawberry shortcake, if not PartySugar will teach you how to make it. But, the berries are not just for dessert anymore. Oh no...you can put them on a salad too. My favorite way to eat them, however, is straight up. Not sliced, no extra sugar, no cream, I just pop them straight into my mouth - after washing them of course.

And you? How do you like to eat your strawberries? Tell me in the comment section below.

Healthy Eating Tip: Join a CSA

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:00:10 -0700

With local and organic food having such a high price tag, it can be hard to eat in a sustainable way. One way I've gotten around the high costs is by joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). The idea of a CSA is pretty simple - consumers pay farmers directly for a portion of their crop. It's a huge benefit to my health, and my money goes directly to a small, family-owned farm.

To give you an idea of how a CSA works, I'll use mine as an example. I pay $23 each week for enough produce to feed two people. My last box contained four Braeburn apples, four oranges, two pounds of heirloom tomatoes, one bunch of broccoli, two pounds of red potatoes, one pound of zucchini, one pound of green beans, one bunch of basil, and one head of red lettuce. All of the produce was grown on an organic farm located 90 miles from my home in San Francisco. For an additional fee I can also request organic dairy products, grass-fed meat, and Fair Trade coffee.

For tips on choosing a CSA, read more.

Although the basic idea of a CSA is the same no matter which you choose, details vary among farms. Here are some things to keep in mind when shopping for a CSA.

Decide how you want your produce box delivered. Many CSAs offer home delivery, while other CSAs leave boxes at convenient pick-up points in your town or city.
Membership is either calculated by the season or on a month-to-month basis. You'll save even more money if you can pay for the entire season at once.
Most CSAs choose what produce they deliver each week. Don't be alarmed -recipes are usually included and you can expect the best the season has to offer, as well as staple items. There are some CSAs that will let you pick and choose specifically what you'd like in your box that week based on their crop.
CSAs are beginning to offer much more than produce. If you are interested in meat, dairy, baked goods, and other eatables, shop around.

Visit the Local Harvest website to find a CSA near you.

Source: Flickr User 427

Newman's Own Organics

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 10:15:00 -0700

What doesn't Newman's Own Organics make? I swear, every time I go to the grocery store, I see a new product. Of course I have to try it because everything they make is so darn delicious.

Not only are these products organic, benefiting you and the environment, but Paul Newman and the Newman's Own Foundation donate all profits and royalties, after taxes, to educational and charitable purposes. They have donated over $200 million to thousands of charities worldwide since l982.

So let's get to the food. There is a special place in my stomach for their Bavarian pretzels. I love they're Salt and Pepper Pretzels too. They're baked, not fried, so they make a great snack, especially dunked in hummus. Plus they make Spelt Pretzels that are really high in fiber.

I also love their Ginger O's. They remind me of the Oreos I used to devour as a kid, but they're made with ginger cookies instead of chocolate. Not only that, they contain no hydrogenated oils, trans fat, or cholesterol. Not into this flavor? They make other flavors like Chocolate filled with chocolate creme, and Hint O' Mint.

Speaking of chocolate, I love theirs. They make bars of Sweet Dark, Butter Toffee Crunch, and Milk Chocolate with Crisp Rice which are all delicious. They also make a line of chocolate cups filled with peanut butter, caramel, and mint.

Newman's Own Organics also makes popcorn, coffee, dried fruit, Alphabet cookies, Fig Newmans (cute little pun, huh?), fresh produce and even pet food.

As you can see, they make just about everything. If you haven't tried any of their wonderful organic products yet, you simply must. I'm a HUGE fan. I do want to point out though, that even though these products are organic they are still snacks and they still have lots of calories, so enjoy them in moderation (just like you would do with Oreos).

Bananas: Organic vs. Conventional

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Deciding whether to buy organic or conventional bananas is a toughie. Organic ones are more expensive (usually at least 30 cents more per pound), and I've noticed that they seem to bruise more easily – anyone else notice that, too? The major difference between the two are that conventional bananas are grown with synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides to protect the crops from mold, bugs, and disease. On the other side, organic farmers use natural fertilizers such as manure and seaweed, insect predators and barriers to prevent pests, and they weed by hand or mulch in order to prevent weeds.

You may be thinking that all those chemicals used to grow conventional bananas are no big deal because you peel the fruit. But the chemicals are not just on the outside of the banana - they leach into the soil that is used to grow the produce. So even if you peel your banana, it doesn't prevent you from ingesting small amounts of those chemicals. Although you may feel better knowing most experts agree that the amount you ingest poses little threat to your health. If you're concerned about the nutritional value of your food, there are ongoing studies exploring the connection between pesticides and nutrients in foods; so far it looks like organic is healthier. Organic produce is also better for the planet since chemical pesticides make their way into the soil and run off into water sources.

With the sky-rocketing prices of food, buying organic may not be feasible all the time. Bananas, along with avocados, mangos, papayas, and pineapples have been found to have the lowest pesticide residue. However, apples, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries have very high pesticide residues so you might want to splurge on organic.

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When To Buy Organic

FitSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:30:00 -0700

Food costs are rising and making decisions about when to go organic a little more complicated. When it comes to produce here are recommendations from the Environmenal Working Group of fruits and veggies to buy organic whenever you can.

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Organ Lessons: The Pancreas

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:47:02 -0800

It's time to take some organ lessons, but not the musical kind. I'm going to teach you about your internal organs, starting with the pancreas.

November is National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, devoted to educating people about the disease that took the life of Patrick Swayze earlier this year. If you're like most people, you probably don't know exactly what the pancreas does, so read on to learn more.