Rub A Dub...

Rub a Dub

Smoothie fans!  We’ve agreed to eat healthy and take care of our bodies.  But are we really? Check out this interesting awakening article....

By Joanne Richard, Special to QMI Agency
Before you gobble down those tiny tomatoes and cucumber chunks peppering your lunch salad, here’s some food for thought: Cherry tomatoes and cucumbers are amongst the dirty dozen, the top 12 produce items with the most pesticide residues, reports the Environmental Working Group. And the lettuce is scary too. The Pesticide Action Network ascertains that “90% of lettuce tests positive for 47 different pesticides and 57 different chemical residues.”

Yikes!

According to Dr. Donese Worden, “plants aren’t just coated with pesticides, plants soak up pesticides too, especially root vegetables as well as fruits and veggies with thin skins.”

Worden, a medical and naturopathic doctor, says that “anyone who eats, drinks, breathes and bathes has exposure – not only from fruit and veggies but from the animals that eat these as well.” We also get residue from our yards, golf courses, parks and water.

Contaminants are impossible to avoid completely, says the global medical educator, so it’s important to wisely choose the foods you put in your mouth and to filter your water. Should we shun the dirty dozen? “Fruits and veggies still do good and are better than junk food, but may also cause damage.”

According to Worden, our world has become toxic in many ways. “We’ve cleaned up our air a bit but our foods are still a major concern. We can’t live in a bubble and it’s very hard to eat only organic, but you can be aware of which produce is the most toxic and buy organic for those foods as much as possible,” recommends Worden. Pesticides are definitely showing up in our systems which may have far-reaching effects on human health and development. “There are some studies linking possible relationships with DNA damage, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer, lung function, behavioural problems and they disrupt the endocrine (hormonal) system.”

The Dirty Dozen: Here are the most contaminated produce items according to Ewg.org.

1. Apples
2. Strawberries
3. Grapes
4. Celery
5. Peaches
6. Spinach second most of veggies
7. Sweet bell peppers
8. Nectarines, imported
9. Cucumber
10. Potatoes
11. Cherry tomatoes
12. Hot peppers

Clean 15: Here are the least contaminated produce items according to Ewg.org.

1. Sweet corn
2. Onions
3. Pineapples
4. Asparagus
5. Avocados
6. Cabbage
7. Cantaloupe
8. Eggplant
9. Grapefruit
10. Kiwi
11. Mangoes
12. Mushrooms
13. Papayas
14. Frozen sweet peas
15. Sweet potatoes

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A lot of these items appear on my table every day.  Scary, huh?  My blending will take on a whole different life now. Keep blendin' but for goodness sakes - keep cleanin' too!