Month: May 2018
We all know its better to eat more fruit and vegetables. But concerns about the safety of conventionally grown produce versus organically grown always comes up as well.
When produce is organic, it means that it has been produced without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides. There are some compelling reasons why people choose to buy organic produce. The main reason to eat organic produce is to avoid the pesticide residue left on foods. Hands down, organically raised food is better for the environment. Absence of pesticides results in healthier soil, water, and wildlife. Buying organically grown produce supports small farmers and contributes to biodiversity.
Some people choose organic produce because they believe it has a higher nutritional value than commercially grown produce. The comparisons of nutritional content between food organically grown and conventionally grown produce, however, shows little difference. Consider also that much of the produce we buy today is not always locally grown. We have many fruits and vegetables to choose from year round because they have been shipped from other parts of the country (or the world). The fact that a fruit or vegetable is organic does not necessarily translate to nutritional superiority simply because its organic. If shipped from far away, it may already be past its nutritional peak.
For many health conscious families, the purchase of organic produce is cost prohibitive. As much as they would like to eat more organically grown food, they simply cannot afford the higher cost. Most of us have a food budget and have to make choices about what we buy, and perhaps a compromise is whats called for. There are two things you can do to take advantage of organically grown produce as much as possible.
Buy local organic produce when its in season. In many parts of the USA, that means taking advantage of certain fruits and vegetables during the warmer months when available. Freezing or canning local organic produce is a possible option for when those items are out of season.
Buy conventionally grown produce from the “Clean 15” list, and organic only for those foods that are on the “The Dirty Dozen” list. The Dirty Dozen are the fruits and vegetables which have the largest amount of pesticide residues, and the Clean 15 have the least amount.
The “Clean 15”:
Onions
Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapples
Mango
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Kiwi fruit
Cabbage
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet potatoes
Sweet onions
The “Dirty Dozen”:
Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Domestic blueberries
Nectarines
Sweet bell peppers
Spinach, kale and collard greens
Cherries
Potatoes
Imported grapes
Lettuce
When the warm weather arrives again, make a habit of visiting your local farmers’ markets and buy local organic produce throughout the season.
2013 Gretchen Scalpi. All rights reserved. You are free to reprint/republish this article as long as the article and byline are kept intact and all links are made live.
There are some very simple nutrition mistakes, that can be corrected for free, that would take care of a lot of people’s diet difficulties. Yet millions of dollars are spent every year in helping people supposedly eat their way to health, through hundreds of various diets and allegedly new health trends. The number one enemy for losing that extra weight is sugar. “You have to be careful of the word `nonfat,’ because that usually implies more sugar,” says Larry Krug, chief executive officer of the online nutritional-consulting firm Eatwize.com. In the majority of instances ‘fat-free’ simply means the product is full of calories, because of the added sugar. Consuming lots of fruit juice is not the answer either. Laura J. Kruskall, Ph.D., R.D., an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas says “People assume that juice is healthier than cola, so they’ll go ahead and drink a heap of it. Yet your average half a cup of juice equals about 60 calories”.When orange juice is consumed it converts directly to sugar Many people eat whole grain products in the wrong assumption that they are ‘eating healthy’. In fact whole grain pasta, whole wheat bread, health cereals and whole grain crackers all convert to sugar when they are consumed. The number two enemy in the battle of of the bulge is consuming processed foods. They contain loads of sugar and a wide variety of harmful chemicals, which prevent the liver from working to optimum. Conola oil, vegetable butter, fake margarine, hydrogenated oils, substitute butter, artificial sweeteners, as well as processed soy products, all assist in the retention of bad fat. Real butter, coconut oil, whole eggs, avocados, bacon, raw nuts and olive oil are all aids when it comes to burning up bad fat. Carbohydrates are vital to good health, so consuming plenty of fruit and vegetables will assist in regulating the blood sugar level and help burn up unwanted fat. Going without food is another wrong conception when it comes to losing weight. Starving the body only causes it to store what fat it already has. In order to keep blood sugar and insulin levels even, it is better to eat healthy food, small and often. Correct hydration is another important key to losing weight. This entails drinking non-caffeinated fluids before they are required, as the body often fails to sense its own thirst, until after the fact. Drinking plenty of liquids burns fat and notifies your body to lose that layer of muscle-camouflaging water it likes to hold between your skin and muscles. Susan Kundrat, M.S., R.D., of Nutrition on the Move says. “I recommend a minimum of 12 eight-ounce glasses of noncaffeinated fluids per day, plus an additional six ounces for every 15 minutes of training you engage in.” Several authorities claim that once you start to eat healthily, you will throw your body onto auto-pilot, so that it will continuously discard that unwanted fat. Dr Wendy Stenberg-Tendys and her husband are CEO’s and founders of YouMe Support Foundation, providing high school education grants for children who are without hope. You can help in this really great project by taking a few minutes to check out the Sponsor a Student program at (http://youmesupport.org). It will change the life of some really needy kids in the South Pacific. Feel free to contact Wendy on