Have you heard of the "dirty dozen" list? Many of my class participants and clients have, and they ask if they should shop by it. First of all, here's a few things I think is important about this concept: I'm not a fan of calling food "clean" or "dirty." There is a certain amount of ethical and moral value we apply to ourselves when we use these terms and I would prefer we not think of food as if it makes us clean or dirty. There is a fair amount of debate regarding how … [Read more...]
Organic Food and Cancer: Do pesticides cause cancer? Can I wash them off with soap?
I have written on this topic multiple times and the bottom line does not change: ANY VEGETABLE IS BETTER THAN NO VEGETABLE! Conventionally grown produce is good for you and you are encouraged to consume 4-5 cups of fruits + veggies a day. If you want to choose organic, go ahead but it is not necessary for a healthy diet." It is generally recognized that the health benefits of consuming any type of fresh fruits and vegetables outweighs any potential health risk. BACKGROUND When … [Read more...]
Are Organic Foods Better? Plus Cancer Dietitian Video Interview
You probably already saw the news reports on a study out of Stanford reporting that organic foods do not have more nutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc.) than conventionally grown foods. If you want to read the coverage, you can check out this article from the NY Times: Stanford Scientists Cast Doubt on Advantages of Organic Meat and Produce. In case you don't read it, here are the conclusions from their study: Fruits and vegetables labeled organic were, on average, no more … [Read more...]
Should I Buy Organic? Cancer Prevention and the Dirty Dozen List!
Here's a scenario that is probably familiar to many of you! You're at the grocery store and see two of all types of produce. There's either 'conventional' or 'organic'. So you stand there in the store trying to decide if it's worth it to spend the extra money on organic. Some claim that you should only eat organic food. Others say it doesn't matter and that it's just a hoax. Here's what I think about the organic debate: Organically farmed plants are generally kinder to … [Read more...]
The Dirty Dozen: When to Buy Organic
I've talked in the last two posts about what organic means and how it affects our health. This time I will finally give you the practical information about buying organic foods. Pesticides When it comes to consuming pesticides, less is better. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) looked at how many pesticides were on various fruits and vegetables. They discovered that people can lower their pesticide exposure by NINETY percent if they choose to eat the twelve least … [Read more...]
