At SkinSport in Phoenix, AZ, we focus on various types of lifestyle changes to ensure a healthier you. We are more than just a gym, we offer nutritional help to ensure that your body gets all the necessary nutrients to keep it at peak performance. There’s a lot of misinformation about what’s healthy and what the benefits of organic food are. People want to know if they need to eat only organic food or could they opt for traditionally commercial grown types of food. Organic is good, but not superior in some cases. Finding the right blend of organic to commercially grown is the key.
Learn about the “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean Fifteen.”
Every year the USDA—United States Department of Agriculture—tests thousands of fruits and vegetables across the country for pesticides. The Environmental Working Group—EWG—then uses that information to create their Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen list. They then rank the produce based on how many pesticides and chemicals were found, how much was left after washing and how much was found. The Dirty Dozen list is the twelve worst fruits and vegetables with the Clean Fifteen being the most pesticide free.
Samples are taken from the grocery and include produce from traditional factory farms.
The findings are considered after the fruit or vegetable was washed. In some cases, pesticides were found even after the produce was peeled. If you want to lower the price of fruits and vegetables, saving by buying the factory farm produce, you can do it safely with the fresh produce listed on the Clean Fifteen. These include avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, onions, papaya, frozen sweet peas, eggplant, asparagus, cauliflower, mangoes, cantaloupe melons, broccoli, mushrooms, cabbage, honeydew melons and kiwis.
Is there reason to be concerned?
The amount of pesticides used are designed to kill bugs, and while we’re not bugs, so it may seem small, it’s the potential for harm from accumulation. Consider having a serving of toxins every meal and sometimes two. People who eat healthy probably ingest more fruits and vegetables than others, so they may be getting a small amount in several different foods in one meal. Doing that three times a day each day can create a problem. Studies show that pesticides can add to the potential for certain conditions, such as nervous system disorders, hormone disruption and even brain disorders. It can lower the rate of a successful pregnancy by as much as 26 percent. Opt for organic when buying fruits and vegetables on the Dirty Dozen list that include, strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery and potatoes.
- Don’t forget to include organic raisins on your shopping list. The most recent study showed that of all non-organic factory farm grown raisins, 99% had at least two chemicals in them.
- Consider choosing both organic and grass raised beef and dairy. Studies show the meat and milk products from these animals had beneficial CLA—conjugated linoleic acid—which is better for weight loss, lower body fat, build muscle and increase energy.
- Grass fed, organic beef and organic poultry are raised without injecting added hormones and antibiotics for faster growth. Grass fed beef and milk products have higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acid, making it the ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3.
- Newer studies show that organic food not only lowers the health risk from pesticides, it also increases the nutrients between 20 and 40%, like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins E and C.
For more information, contact us today at Skin Sport Fitness