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
info@vitanaturalhealth.com.au
Below: My very ‘green’ & slightly overgrown winter garden! Yes, we were eating broccoli, broccolini, silverbeet, cauliflower and kale for months:)
