If a bug wouldn’t eat it, then neither should you!

WHAT: Pesticides are designed to kill. They are toxic to bugs, weeds and anything else that might eat food intended for you, and they can be toxic to you too. The risks of consuming pesticides depend on many factors, including the toxicity of the pesticide, amount of exposure, your age, and lifetime exposure to other toxins.

WHY: A small dose of pesticide can harm people, especially during childhood and critical periods of fetal development, and the effects may be long-lasting. Because long-term effects are not known, it’s best to minimize your exposure. Even small changes in eating habits can greatly diminish your exposure to these toxins.

HOW: Avoid the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables:
Apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, grapes (imported), nectarines, peaches, pears potatoes, spinach, strawberries, and raspberries

In the study cited on the previous page, peaches and raspberries were found to have the most pesticides, with nine on a single sample, followed by strawberries and apples, with eight. These fruits and veggies are very important to include in your diet, and this study is not trying to discourage you from consuming them. But it does clearly state that if you can, buy organic to reduce the risk of extra toxins building up in your body. If organically grown produce is difficult to find, try farmers markets and health food stores. You can also purchase frozen organic berries for those dark days of winter when you’re getting fed up with eating just apples and bananas.

The 12 least contaminated fruits and vegetables:
Asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples, and peas

According to the study, these 12 fruits and veggies are safe to consume even if not grown organically. Please note that in this study the researchers did wash the produce. What they discovered is that while washing helps reduce some pesticide exposure, it in no way eliminates the majority of it, since much of the pesticide is retained within the cells of the produce. According to a study by The Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org 2006): “People can lower their pesticide exposure by 90 percent by avoiding the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead. Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to nearly 20 pesticides per day, on average. Eating the 12 least contaminated will expose a person to a fraction over 2 pesticides per day.”

Debroah Enos- Certified Nutritionist