FitSugar

Apples Top This Year's Dirty Dozen List

Susannah Chen — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:15:59 PDT

Could an apple a day mean more, not fewer, trips to the doctor's office? The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released its annual Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists today, and the report shows that apples are among the most pesticide-laden fruits on the market.

According to the environmentalist group, apples - the country's most popular fruit after bananas - have the highest composite levels of pesticides of any produce. Although most of the pesticide amounts found were within guidelines that federal regulators consider OK to eat, EWG found pesticide residue in 98 percent of the country's conventionally grown apples. Also topping that list? Celery, strawberries, peaches, and blueberries. Cilantro, which was tested for the first time since the program's inception, featured at least 30 unapproved pesticides.

More reassuring is the Clean 15, EWG's list of produce with the lowest levels of pesticides. Those include skinned fruit and vegetables such as onions, corn, pineapples, avocado, and watermelon; sweet peas, kiwi, and grapefruit are also on the list. You can download both comprehensive lists on EWG's website.

I've always questioned the need to buy organic berries, but at this moment, they seem well worth the potential price. Are you concerned about pesticides in your produce? If so, what do you make sure to buy organic?

Strawberries With a Side of ADHD?

FitSugar — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:00:12 PDT

Not too sure that organic produce is worth the extra dough? This may change your mind. It looks like scientists in the US and Canada may have found a connection between pesticide exposure and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Researchers tested 1,000 kids, ages eight to 15, and analyzed their urine for traces of pesticides. They found that 119 of the participants had signs of ADHD. And get this - the children with the highest concentrations of pesticides were twice as likely to be diagnosed with this condition as compared to the kids who had only traces of the chemical in their urine. That's a huge difference. The pesticides detected were ones commonly used in conventional produce such as frozen blueberries, strawberries, and celery.

ADHD affects about 4.5 million children in the US, and 2.5 million take medication to treat their condition. That means the findings of this study aren't something that should be ignored, as the connection between pesticides and ADHD is pretty strong. Certain pesticides will leave the body after about a week, but this study shows that some degree of pesticide residue will remain in the body, making exposure to these chemicals ongoing. Kids are especially at a greater risk since their young bodies are still developing.

Scientists aren't saying that eating conventional produce that's treated with pesticides will automatically lead to the development of ADHD, because many other factors may be involved, but this study may offer yet another reason to choose organic foods whenever possible.

What the Experts Won't Even Eat

FitSugar — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:50:26 PST

Grocery shopping can be a daunting task. That's why a recent article from Prevention magazine really caught my eye. The magazine asked experts who work in the field of food safety what they avoid eating at all costs, and though some of their answers were things I already knew, others were pretty eye opening. Here are a few items to think twice about the next time you're out buying food.

Microwave popcorn. Popcorn usually makes a great snack, but the bags used to make microwave popcorn are lined with harmful chemicals that are "linked to infertility in humans." Prevention warns that these chemicals are transferred to popcorn upon microwaving and can live in your body for years to come. Instead of buying microwave popcorn, make it on your stove or use an air popper instead.

To hear what other items the experts avoid,

Nonorganic potatoes. You'd think that root vegetables would be protected since they grow underground, but they absorb all the pesticides and fertilizers that are in the soil. And potatoes are treated with harmful toxins multiple times - while growing, being harvested, and after they're picked. Always, always buy organic potatoes since "washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh."
Canned tomatoes. It's been shown that there are harmful levels of bisphenol-A (BPA) in canned goods that can migrate onto food. Expert Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies BPA, told Prevention that this is especially true of canned tomatoes, which can contain up to 50 mcg of BPA per liter. As a result, vom Saal won't go near canned tomatoes and opts for boxed and fresh instead.

Check out the rest of Prevention's list to find out what other foods the experts avoid, and be sure to get up to speed on what foods you should always consider buying organic.

When to Buy Organic

FitSugar — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 03:30:23 PDT

I like to think most of us would like to buy local and organic foods 100 percent of the time, but it means paying extra, which a lot of us can't always do. A good compromise is choosing organic when it makes the most sense for our health.

Here's our recommendation on foods to buy organic whenever possible due to high pesticide contamination, as well as those foods you can opt for conventional to be kind to your pocket book. I would like to add that you should try to buy local produce too - it'll taste fresher and have traveled many fewer miles to reach you.

Are You Willing to Accept the Occasional Bug in Produce?

partysugar — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 06:50:36 PDT

Yesterday I read an interesting article on Gourmet's website that discusses an increase in spiders found in packages of grapes. As more and more farmers stop using pesticides and start growing organic, insects like spiders act as a natural pest control. The problem comes when the consumer discovers a bug in their home kitchen.

While I'm a fan of organic produce, the thought of almost popping a grape with a spider on it into my mouth totally freaks me out.

How do you feel about the matter? Are you willing to accept an occasional pest or cobweb in return for fruit and vegetables that are pesticide-free?

Source

A Pesticide Produce Guide For Your Pocket

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:00:00 PDT

To buy organic or not to buy organic? Take a page (literally) from the Environmental Working Group, a health advocacy group consisting of scientists, engineers, policy experts, and lawyers whose mission is to expose threats to our environment. In addition to uncovering big environmental health threats, the EWG works to find small solutions, too. One of those is to help you avoid produce that is heavily sprayed with pesticides.

EWG has created a printable version of its "dirty dozen" list of the 12 most heavily sprayed fruits and veggies, as well as the 15 types of produce with the lowest amounts of pesticides. The list fits easily in your wallet so it can be used as a reference guide when grocery shopping to help you decide when to go organic and when it is OK to opt for less expensive, conventionally grown produce. You do, however, have to sign up for the EWG monthly email newsletter to get access to the printable list. Since the newsletter is chock-full of useful information on pesticides, sustainable agriculture, and other food-related issues, it's a piece of email worth getting.

You can sign up for the newsletter here. Here's to some happy and healthy shopping.

Source

12 Foods With High Amounts of Pesticides

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:00:00 PDT

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. Source

Not So Peachy: Pesticides and Peaches

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:45:00 PDT

One of my favorite summer fruits is the peach. When I bite into a perfectly ripe peach, I am in heaven. I just read a new report on pesticides and produce put out by the
Environmental Working Group (EWG). They listed peaches as having the highest pesticide load out of 42 fruits and vegetables they tested.

The EWG, a not-for-profit research group, ranked popular produce based on the results of nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2004.

Here's the produce list that EWG created, ranked in order of greatest pesticide load to least.

1 Peaches (highest pesticide load)
2 Apples
3 Sweet Bell Peppers
4 Celery
5 Nectarines
6 Strawberries
7 Cherries
8 Pears
9 Grapes - Imported
10 Spinach

Interested in seeing the rest of the list? then

read more 11 Lettuce 12 Potatoes 13 Carrots 14 Green Beans 15 Hot Peppers 16 Cucumbers 17 Raspberries 18 Plums 19 Grapes - Domestic 20 Oranges 21 Grapefruit 22 Tangerine 23 Mushrooms 24 Cantaloupe 25 Honeydew Melon 26 Tomatoes 27 Sweet Potatoes 28 Watermelon 29 Winter Squash 30 Cauliflower 31 Blueberries 32 Papaya 33 Broccoli 34 Cabbage 35 Bananas 36 Kiwi 37 Sweet peas - frozen 38 Asparagus 39 Mango 40 Pineapples 41 Sweet Corn - frozen 42 Avocado 43 Onions 1 (lowest pesticide load) While washing and rinsing fresh produce may reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. Source

Another Reason To Eat Organic: Vitamin C

FitSugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 17:15:00 PDT

The belief that pesticides do not have an effect on nutrients in foods, is being seriously challenged.

Recent news from an EU funded project has found that organic fruits contained more Vitamin C than their non-organic counterparts. Specifically researchers found that organic carrots, apples and peaches contained higher levels of vitamin C and flavonoids, an antioxidant. While last week, U.S. researchers revealed that organic kiwi fruit have significantly more vitamin C and polyphenols. If you're looking to up your vitamin C intake, you may want to go organic. Still confused about what organic products are worth the extra money? Then check out this post.

Source

Valentine's Day - Give Organic Flowers

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:00:00 PST

Giving flowers has become such a tradition for Valentine's Day, but just because you may be single, doesn't mean you can't take part in the fun.

I always send my best friend flowers on Valentine's Day, because let's face it, your best friend is always there for you and you do love her - isn't that what it's all about?

You can also buy yourself flowers too, but you may want to think about buying organic bouquets. Why buy Organic Flowers?

Whenever you touch or inhale the scent of your non-organic flowers, you are likely touching or inhaling poisonous chemicals. When you buy organic flowers, you won't have to worry about toxic chemicals on your flower bouquets.
Through evaporation, toxic pesticides and fertilizers that are sprayed on flower farms end up in the atmosphere. They then travel to other global areas to fall as rain or snow.
Organic flowers, according to many people, last longer than non-organic ones.

Want to hear the other reasons and find out how you can send organic flowers? Then

According to an article on newdream.org, studies have shown that 50% of workers in the Costa Rica flower industry have symptoms of pesticide poisoning. Areas surrounding flower farms there have higher miscarriage and birth defect rates than do other areas.
Buying organic flowers helps support local organic farming communities and organizations, which often have charitable, philanthropic motives for selling their flowers.
The toxic chemicals used on flower farms poison groundwater and the soil. These chemicals also become part of the food chain, as animals such as birds will eat the sprayed plants. In the course of their seasonal migrations, these birds will spread these chemicals globally.

When you buy or give organic flowers, you are supporting the health of your loved one, as well as the health of the planet. Order online from Organic Bouquet (they have 5-6 ft tall red roses).