Dirty Dozen: The 12 Most Contaminated Fruits & Veggies in the Market

It's official: summer's over.

On to fall colors, sweaters, boots, before you know it snow... ugh.

For now though, it's time to enjoy the abundance of fall fruit - especially that one-a-day wonder we call the APPLE. 

There are many ways to enjoy apples: in the raw, in a pie, in a sauce, in a slaw, and especially in a turnover!

What may not be good however, is the source of where your apples came from.

Did you know that conventionally grown apples are the most pesticide-laden produce in the market? 

According to the latest list from The EnvironmentalWorking Group, there are 12 fruits and veggies - when not grown organically - that are highly contaminated with harmful pesticides.

THE DIRTY DOZEN:


1) Apples                                                    7) Grapes (imported)
2) Celery                                                     8) Sweet Bell Peppers
3) Strawberries                                            9) Potatoes
4) Peaches                                                  10) Blueberries (domestic)
5) Spinach                                                  11) Lettuce
6) Nectarines                                              12) Collard Greens/Kale

Stuff you feed yourself and your kids everyday, right? That’s why it is especially important to always buy organic and avoid nasty chemicals.

The good news is the EWG also prepared a list of what they call the CLEAN 15: foods that are the least likely to need pesticides.

1) Onions                                                  
2) Corn                                                        9) Cantaloupe (domestic)        
3) Pineapples                                              10) Kiwi Fruit
4) Avocados                                                11) Cabbage
5) Asparagus                                               12) Watermelon
6) Sweet Peas                                              13) Sweet Potatoes
7) Mangoes                                                 14) Grapefruit
8) Eggplant                                                 15) Mushrooms                       
  
Here's another rule of thumb I use forced to buy non organic produce: If it has a thick skin, at least you know there is some protection from the chemicals and you can peel it off. 

Also, make sure to wash all produce with warm water and soap beforehand. (This is to guard against bacteria as well as chemicals.) You definitely don't want salmonella in your GI (gastrointestinal) tract. Remember all those nasty outbreaks around the globe the last few years? Dangerous stuff and no fun either.

Remember, just because you can buy non-organic fruits and veggies, doesn't mean you should.

Yours in health,

Dr. Jeanne Masanz, DC

http://northwestminneapolischiropractor.com 

Office: 612.259.7323

Follow Boulevard Natural Healing Arts, P.A. on Facebook!