First off, it should be mentioned in regards to my previous article saluting meat/animal products, that the quality of the product is absolutely crucial. Sorry to say, but the livestock industry in our country has pretty much gone to shit (pardon my French). When buying meat and animal products, organic is a must in my opinion—local and grass-fed is even better, but sometimes hard to find. Otherwise, animal products—cows, chickens, goats, pigs, sheep, and dairy products alike—are highly inundated with growth hormones (steroids included), preservatives, and other toxic chemicals to speed up production and increase quantity. In humans, these substances act as cancer-causing carcinogens, and sometimes will remain in the body for decades after being consumed. Artificial hormones (of any and all kinds) interfere with the body’s natural cell production, and malignant tumors result from the body’s inability to control cell growth. Here’s an example: cows are injected with recombinant bovine somatotrophin (rBST) so that they can produce milk when pregnant. This artificial hormone is produced through a genetically engineered E.Coli specimen. Naturally, no mammal lactates over the course of an entire pregnancy, and we should not overlook nature’s clever way of providing for us. However, rBST allows for this, so that money-hungry agricultural heads can increase revenue at the cost of consumers unaware. The U.S. is the only developed nation that has not banned the use of artificial growth hormones, unlike all European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Canada (by 2000 or earlier). Do not be fooled.
Moving on, I’m going to share with you some grocery store logic. When stocking up on your weekly supply, especially on a budget, it can be difficult to discern when to buy organic versus conventional. I’ll make this easy for you: the Clean 15/Dirty Dozen list represents produce with the least and highest amounts of pesticide use. This list is developed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and is updated annually. Studies reveal that consistent pesticide exposure is linked to cancer, birth defects, infertility, damage to the brain and nervous system (and diseases related to)…just to name a few. So, when you make your next grocery run, note that anything on the Clean list is okay to buy conventional, and anything on the Dirty list is when to definitely spring for organic.
Clean 15
- Onions
- Sweet Corn
- Pineapple
- Avocado
- Asparagus
- Sweet Peas
- Mangoes
- Eggplant
- Cantaloupe (domestic only)
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Watermelon
- Sweet Potatoes
- Grapefruit
- Mushrooms
Dirty Dozen
- Apples
- Celery
- Strawberries
- Peaches
- Spinach
- Nectarines
- Bell Peppers
- Grapes
- Potatoes
- Blueberries
- Lettuce
- Kale/Collard Greens
Happy Friday!
XO,
E
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