Most of you would know that I am a fairly well rounded naturopath - I try to be realistic with the dietary advice that I offer and for the most part, practice what I preach!  As such, I'd like to think that I eat a fairly healthy and balanced diet - where possible I buy organic or use fresh fruit and vegies from my garden.  I do however still buy commercial fruit and veg and a recent experience with the worst, most acrid tasting celery that I'd ever consumed prompted me to question just how many pesticides this vegetable had been exposed to prior to reaching my fridge?

Some of you may be familiar with Environmental Working Group's 'Dirty Dozen' and 'Clean 15'.  The Dirty Dozen outlines a list of fruits and vegetable crops that are exposed to the greatest number of pesticides and may therefore carry a higher pesticide residue.  The Clean 15 summarises the opposite.

No surprises that celery almost tops the Dirty Dozen list in America!  Here in Australia, our non-organic farming practices often mirror those used in the USA however the items with an asterisk (*) are specifically relevant to Australian produce. Please bear in mind that much of the produce that you buy is imported from other countries and may have been in prolonged storage.

Dirty Dozen                                                                  Clean 15

Apples*                                                                          Onions

Celery*                                                                          Pineapple

Strawberries*                                                                 Avocado

Peaches*                                                                       Asparagus

Spinach                                                                         Sweet Peas

Nectarines*                                                                   Mangoes

Grapes*                                                                        Eggplant

Capsicums                                                                    Rock Melon

Potatoes                                                                       Kiwi Fruit

Blueberries                                                                   Cabbage

Lettuce*                                                                       Watermelon

Cherries                                                                       Sweet Potato

2 recent additions include Kale & Zucchini                        Grapefruit

Cucumber*                                                                   Mushrooms

Broccoli*                                                                       Sweet corn

Carrots*

Pears*

Pesticide residue load has been implicated in a myriad of health conditions including ADHD, autoimmune conditions, thyroid disorders and various cancers.

So be mindful of the food purchases that you make - Organic Fruit and Vegetable boxes can be ordered and delivered to your door for as little as $40-50 per week - that's around $7 per day - or the cost of 1.5 cups of coffee ...
Otherwise, get out to your local farmer's market and green grocer - and ask questions about the food that is fuelling your body - it's an investment into your health!  I hope that you find this list useful - if you have any other questions relating to this topic, please just ask.

Wishing you the best of health, Josie
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Below:  My very 'green' & slightly overgrown winter garden!  Yes, we were eating broccoli, broccolini, silverbeet, cauliflower and kale for months:)



 

Ingredients

• 50 g coconut sugar
• 330 g blanched almond meal
• 1 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 egg
• 70 ml ice cold water
• ¾ tsp. sea salt
• 45 grams ghee or coconut oil
• 1 tsp. honey
• Jam 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius 
Place sugar into a high powered blender or food processer and process for 20 seconds on high speed.
Add ghee/coconut oil, blanched almond meal,  coconut flour, egg, salt and honey and iced water and mix until mixture comes together.
Roll into golf ball size rounds and place on a tray lined w baking paper.
Gently flatten each ball with a tsp to create an indent in the center.
Place 1/ 2 tsp. jam in each indent.
Bake 10 mins, or until lightly golden.

• For those of you with allergies or food intolerances - eliminating various foods and food groups is not a new concept.  The Paleo diet has attracted much media attention recently, both positive and negative. For some, Paleo is very much in vogue whilst others speculate that it is extreme and dangerous - so is it just another fad? What is it really about?

Put simply, the Paleo diet is modelled on the diet of our ancestors, from thousands of years ago before industrialisation and the introduction of modern agriculture.  Rather than improving our health - these modern practices have sent much of the world into epidemics of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and what I see most of in clinic these days  - autoimmunity.

Thousands of years ago, the 'paleolithic diet' was a hunter-gatherer approach to eating - of course today we do little of either, so one might argue that this dietary approach may not suit our modern lives? Let's take a closer look at what a Paleo diet consists of.  

The primary attribute of the modern Paleo diet is the inclusion of plenty of vegetables.  Secondary to this,moderate amounts of animal protein and the inclusion of healthy fats and fermented foods.  The focus is on fresh, seasonal and locally grown organic fruit and veggies.  Animal proteins are organic, grass-fed, pasture raised and sustainably sourced.  That's it - it is a diet that focuses on eating whole, unprocessed foods.  It omits common allergens and foods that tend to irritate and cause inflammation - this includes all grains, dairy, legumes and processed foods. So what's in a name? I imagine that this dietary outline does not differ too much from that which I would have advised many of you at one point or other?! So is this way of eating extreme? Is cutting out major food groups like grains and dairy going to result in epidemics of nutritional deficiency? Unlikely.  The bulk of our nutrients come from our vegetables, not from grains or dairy.  This includes your B vitamins, magnesium and calcium - nutrients that you may be depending on from grain and dairy sources.  

• Does the diet require you to eat loads of meat?  No.  This is a common misconception.  The recommended serve of protein per meal is the size and thickness of your palm.  This follows the same guideline as the national nutritional authorities.
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• So what's off the list? - All dairy, grains (wheat, barley, rye, corn, rice, oats etc) legumes and processed foods.
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• What about carbohydrates for energy? - Think veggies:) Sweet potato, pumpkin, beetroot, parsnip, swede, turnip - dense in starch that will provide ample carbohydrates. Healthy fats are also used as a source of fuel and to promote satiety (a sense of fullness)
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• What can I eat?! - Plenty.  All meats, veggies, 1-2 pieces of fruit daily, nuts, seeds, eggs.  This way of eating encourages loads of good fat.  Most of us come from a dietary paradigm that is obsessively fat-conscious.  The mantra 'calories in, calories out' has been drummed into us for decades! The biggest challenge that I face when recommending this way of eating is encouraging people to eat lots of good fat as I'm often met with much resistance.  Most hormones in your body are made of fat, more than 50% of your brain is fat, our nerves are insulated in fat and many physiological processes, including nutrient absorption require the presence of fat in order to be effective.  A diet rich in healthy fats can actually aid weight loss in most individuals!  Of course this principle only applies if you avoid grain and dairy consumption:) Remember that when it comes to weight loss - it is 80% diet and 20% exercise.  Keeping fit is important for our heart, our immunity and our mental well-being but actually contributes very little to weight loss for most people.
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• Would this way of eating suit me? - If you suffer from allergies or food intolerances, hormonal imbalance, weight gain, fatigue, an inflammatory or autoimmune condition, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease - it is worth giving this diet a go.
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• Is this way of eating suitable for everyone? - For obvious reasons this diet is not suited to vegans and strict vegetarians. Beyond these categories I would encourage that you speak to one of our naturopaths as to whether it would suit you.

From a professional perspective, I have had many people follow this style of eating - though never labelled as 'paleo' and the results always speak for themselves.  It is simply a diet high in fresh whole foods and void of the processed and problematic ones that most allergies are associated with.  I have already spoken about the health ramifications of excessive grain consumption (you can view it here: http://www.vitanaturalhealth.com.au/health-topics/whats-the-fuss-about-grains.html) 

If you're interested in exploring this way of eating and need more information, we are happy to help! 

Wishing you the best of health,
Josie
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  9370 7003 www.vitanaturalhealth.com.au