THE DIRTY DOZEN AND CLEAN FIFTEEN FOOD LISTS
Pesticides and preservatives have infiltrated their way into almost all the food consumed in America and can store in the body’s fat, including the brain, for years. Industrial wastes have permeated our ground water and can enter our body simply by washing our organic veggies with tap water. Over time these stored chemicals undermine our immunity, render us susceptible to disease, infection and premature aging.
Recently, The Environmental Working Group released the 2011 edition of its Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce with updated information on fruits and vegetables and their total pesticide loads. EWG highlights the worst offenders with its “Dirty Dozen” list and the cleanest conventional produce with its “Clean 15” list.
Don’t miss out on your chance to learn which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticides, plus the ones that are generally safe even if not organic.
TWO MAIN LISTS OF FRUITS & VEGGIES:
1. The Dirty Dozen – Twelve fruits and veggies that you should try to avoid or to eat organic.
2. The Clean Fifteen - A list of clean veggies that are mostly safe to eat even if they are not organic.
THE DIRTY DOZEN
The FDA tells us that all non-organic fruits and veggies have safe and harmless levels of pesticides, while The President’s Cancer Panel recommends consumers eat produce without pesticides to reduce the risk of cancer and disease.
The Dirty Dozen list takes washing and peeling into account. Washing is important to remove bacteria but obviously has little effect on removing pesticides since there can still be chemicals internally. If you are going to buy any of the fruits or veggies listed in The Dirty Dozen we highly recommend buying only organic.
Pesticides can be extremely toxic to human health and the environment. U.S. and international government agencies alike have linked pesticides to nervous system toxicity, cancer, hormone system disruption and IQ deficits among children.
Pesticides are toxic. They’re designed to kill bugs, it’s hard to believe that any amount is safe. Their effects can be associated with a host of very serious health problems in people, including neurological deficits, ADHD, endocrine system disruption and cancer. *
THE DIRTY DOZEN LIST:
#1 :: Apples
Moved up to the #1 position, peaches were in that spot in the previous report.
Up to 42 different pesticides.
Safer alternatives: watermelon, bananas, tangerines
#2 :: Celery
Has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals .
Up to 64 pesticides
Safer alternatives: broccoli, radishes, onions
#3 :: Strawberries
They’re most likely imported from countries that have less-stringent regulations for pesticide use.
59 pesticides have been detected in residue on strawberries.
Safer alternatives: kiwi, pineapples
#4 :: Peaches
These are delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards.
As many as 62 pesticides
Safer alternatives: watermelon, tangerines, oranges, and grapefruit.
#5 :: Spinach
One of the most contaminated green leafy vegetable.
As many 48 different pesticides.
Best to buy organic.
#6 :: Nectarines
They rank up there with apples and peaches among the dirtiest tree fruit.
33 different pesticides found
Safer alternatives: watermelon, papaya, mango
#7 :: Grapes
Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically, only imported grapes make the Dirty Dozen list.
34 different pesticides.
Safer alternatives: kiwi, raspberries.
#8 :: Bell peppers
:
Peppers have thin skins that don’t offer much of a barrier to pesticides.
Tests have found 49 different pesticides.
(Plus They’re often heavily sprayed with insecticides.)
Safer alternatives: green peas, broccoli, and cabbage.
#9 :: Potatoes
:
America’s favorite vegetable!
Can be laced with as many as 37 different pesticides.
Safer alternatives: eggplant, cabbage, and earthy mushrooms.
#10 :: Blueberries:
One of the dirtiest berries on the market.
Up to 52 different pesticides.
Definitely buy organic blueberries!
#11 :: Lettuce:
Another delicate, thin-skinned, leafy green vegetable.
Up to 51 different pesticide residues.
Buy organic whenever possible.
# 12 Kale:
Traditionally, kale is known as a hardier vegetable that rarely suffers from pests and disease, but it was found to have high amounts of pesticide residue this year.
At least 10 different pesticides, maybe more.
Safer alternatives: cabbage, asparagus, and broccoli.
THE CLEAN FIFTEEN LIST
To ensure that you and your family are safe and healthy, eat organic whenever possible. The Clean Fifteen are fruits and vegetables that are considered safe by the EWG to eat even when not organic. If you simply shift to eating more from the Clean Fifteen list, you will at least have a measurable drop in your pesticide consumption levels.
All the produce on “The Clean 15” bore little to no traces of pesticides, and is safe to consume in non-organic form.
This list includes:
- Onions
- Sweet Corn
- Pineapples
- Avocados
- Asparagus
- Sweet Peas
- Mangoes
- Eggplant
- Cantaloupe, domestic
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Watermelon
- Sweet Potatoes
- Grapefruit
- Mushrooms
Why do some types of produce have more pesticides than others, you ask? If you eat something like a pineapple or sweet corn, they have a protection defense because of the outer layer of skin. Not the same for strawberries and berries. In general, thin-skinned fruits and vegetables are more prone to absorbing the pesticides.
The President’s Cancer Panel recommends washing conventionally grown produce to remove any residues. It won’t remove all the pesticides (because some are already absorbed), but you should still wash it to reduce pesticide exposure.
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Choosing five servings from (“Clean 15”) of 15 least contaminated fruits and vegetables would result in consuming fewer than two pesticides per day. If you instead pick five servings of fruits and vegetables from the 12 (“dirty dozen”) most-contaminated products, it would result in consuming an approximate average of 14 different pesticides a day at unknown concentrations.
That said, if you can’t always buy organic due to your personal budget, it’s still better to eat fruits and vegetables than not at all. You could pick your favorite and buy that one organic. If you love apples, for example, consider according to USDA, pesticides showed up on 98 percent of the more than 700 apple samples tested. It’s possible that what’s happening to apples is more pesticides and fungicides are being applied after the harvest so the fruit can have a longer shelf life. So, buy organic, local apples.
Source: Dr. John Douillard DC (http://www.lifespa.com/article.aspx?art_id=154)
References
:
1. EWG, Environmental Working Group
2. CNN: “Toxic America” May 31, 2010
3. What’s on my food (whatsonmyfood.org)
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Cold & Flu Prevention from an M.D. (Rap)
An entertaining way to learn how to reduce your chance of cold & flu infection from a Medical Doctor. Nice job Doc!
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4 Most Important Taoist Ways To Stay HEALTHY
According to traditional Taoist philosophy, which is the origin of all Chinese medicine, there are 8 branches of the comprehensive Taoist healing tree. Interestingly enough, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are actually on the bottom positions of that list. Meaning that, according to the ancient Taoists who created this healing system, those two modalities are the LEAST powerful as far as maintaining one’s overall health and well-being. Curious what the top 4 are?
Guess what, the most powerful of these four methodologies are actually FREE because they are things you do every day at home. Here goes in the order of what the Taoists consider to be the most powerful, to less powerful as you go further down the list:
1. Meditation
2. Energy Cultivation (including Qi Gong & Tai Chi, etc.)
3. Diet (based on your own constitutional strengths and weaknesses)
4. Tui Na (a combination of massage, physical therapy and bone setting for injuries-before modern orthopedics)
Interesting to note that MEDITATION is # 1 on the list. This means that they believed that one’s own personal meditation is the MOST POWERFUL WAY TO STAY HEALTHY in the long run.
Don’t know how to meditate? We have a solution! We will teach you! Root and Branch Oriental Medicine is hosting a friend and national expert in teaching meditation Dr. Susan Taylor. She is the founder of the Center for Meditation Science and will be teaching an EXCLUSIVE WORKSHOP in HOPKINTON MA ON OCTOBER 23rd from 1-4pm. The cost is $59 ( a steal for a 3 hour stress reduction/meditation seminar!) if you pre-register by October 15th. Please call us for more details and to register @ 508-435-8184. See you in blissland!
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Healing Burns- Almost Instantly! with the Natural Remedy of Plant Oils
Healing Burns with Lavender Plant Pure Essential Oil
We have been using Lavender True Essential Oil (TEO)for years now with AMAZING EFFECTIVENESS. Making sure you use 100% PURE LAVENDER essential oil is VERY important!
As you don’t want any other base oils (like jojoba, coconut, olive, etc) or other essential oils in the mix which could cause an aggravation of the burn. If you apply Lavender and Ice to the burn and repeat this process (i.e. ice, lavender, ice, lavender, etc.) and repeat this process for 20-30 minutes- you will be very impressed at how fast and effectively the burn heals. We have personally seen this technique work for ourselves and others who have up to 2nd degree burns (blistering) and have it virtually disappear in 20-30 minutes, what would normally take days or weeks to heal!
So be sure to keep some Pure Lavender TEO around in the first aid kit! BTW- also works great for cuts, insect bites, and other surface wounds.
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Natural Remedies for Allergies
Spring has sprung and for the Americans suffering from allergies it has been one of the worst ever.
If you prefer to treat the congestion, itchy and burning eyes, coughing and other symptoms of the allergies with drug free alternatives, here are 7 natural remedies:
HONEY
Locally grown RAW honey is one way to keep the allergies at bay. One teaspoon of honey taken daily 1 month prior to the start of the allergy season is a natural way of exposing the body to the allergens and therefore building resistance. Just make sure that it is not given to children under the age of one.
VITAMIN C WITH QUERCETIN
Taking Vitamin C with Quercetin several times a day when the symptoms begin helps the body to decrease the amount of histamines produced by the mast cells in the nasal passages. Since Vitamin C and Quercetin are both water soluble, there is no concern of overdosing. The unused portion will be released in the urine.
STINGING NETTLE LEAF
The leaves of the stinging nettle plant has an antihistamine effect and tends to dry up the mucous membranes. Look for high potency capsules and take 2-3 X day during the season.
INHALING STEAM WITH ESSENTIAL OILS
For immediate relief, try inhaling steam with some essential oils: 4 drops of eucalyptus oil, 1 to 2 drops of tea tree oil and 3 drops of rosemary essential oil will ease the symptoms quickly.
ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture is an effective treatment for the allergy symptoms. Acupuncture provides allergy relief by sending a signal to the nervous system to change the body’s response to the allergens when the needle is inserted into a specific point. ACUPUNCTURE & CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE CAN HELP THE UNDERLYING WEAKNESS OF THE BODY AND THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ALLERGY SYMPTOMS. While many of these modalities listed here can help the symptomatic fix of the allergy symptoms, Traditional Chinese Medicine (including acupuncture and herbal medicine) can often help CURE the condition or imbalance that causes the allergies in the first place.
DIET
Certain foods such as dairy, sugar and wheat have proven to make many people more sensitive to the allergens. Both sugar and dairy products increase the mucous production in the body that contributes to the congestion and possible sinus infections. Wheat is another common offender. Many people, especially women report a significant improvement in symptoms after omitting wheat from their diets for 2 to 3 weeks. Increased energy, a general sense of well being and lack of constipation are some of the top improvements.
NETI POT
Neti pots clear nasal passages by washing away the pollen grains that are trapped inside. A salt solution dissolved in room temperature water is poured into one nostril and comes out on the other side. This tool has been used since ancient times in India and remains quite effective to this day. I personally love my neti pot and couldn’t go without it!
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/13/earlyshow/health/main20062524.shtml
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