Happy December! Are you in the midst of deciding what to cook for the holidays? Or are you the type that has the same traditions on what to cook? Either way I have just the holiday TREAT for you. It's called the infamous 'Dirty Dozen' & 'Clean 15' of 2018, which still applies because it's not 2019, yet! Once you decide on what your recipes are for the holidays, it'll be beneficial to get the cleanest and healthiest fruits and vegetables worth your wallet and health. I know you might think that one holiday dinner may not matter, and it MIGHT be true. But what about the rest of the December days?
Ever heard of chemical build-up? We are what we eat, so just take a simple look to see the "dirty" fruits and vegetables and decide if you want organic or conventional. When is it safe and when it's OK...because when you know better , you do better!
Why is it important?
Here's an insight from the JAMA Internal medicine:
" 325 women undergoing infertility treatment with assisted reproductive technology, intake of high–pesticide residue fruits and vegetables was associated with a lower probability of live birth, while low–pesticide residue fruit and vegetable intake was not associated with this outcome (1)."
What does this mean?
"Dietary pesticide exposure within the range of typical human exposure may be associated with adverse reproductive consequences (1)."
So what are the best and worst of 2018 of our fruits and vegetables, here are some below to help you incorporate the healthier lifestyle.
Top of the list for Dirty 12 is STRAWBERRIES. " One strawberry sample contained an astounding 22 pesticide residues.
One-third of all conventional strawberry samples contained 10 or more pesticides." Top of the list for Clean 15 is AVOCADOS.
" Fewer than 1 percent of conventional avocados tested positive for pesticides.
Only one pesticide was found on any of the 360 avocados sampled"
For more details check out:
Dirty Dozen: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php Clean 15: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php https://www.produceretailer.com/article/news-article/2018-dirty-dozen-and-clean-15-lists-released
So what can we do:
It may seem like if there are pesticides, the next best thing is to make sure we wash our fruits and vegetables. That may be a good option, but when pesticides are used, it is built into the food, into the seeds - the make-up of the plant/vegetable/fruit.
Keep to the 'Dirty Dozen' and 'Clean 15' to make sure you have the greatest chances of avoiding these toxins not meant for your food or your body.
Want to learn more? Our Free FB Group gives you the chance before the ‘13 Days of Giving’ ends!
https://m.facebook.com/groups/228883654472510
References:
1. Chiu, Y. H., Williams, P. L., Gillman, M. W., Gaskins, A. J., Mínguez-Alarcón, L., Souter, I., Toth, T. L., Ford, J. B., Hauser, R., Chavarro, J. E., EARTH Study Team (2017). Association Between Pesticide Residue Intake From Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables and Pregnancy Outcomes Among Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment With Assisted Reproductive Technology. JAMA internal medicine, 178(1), 17-26.