Thanks to the increase in diagnosed celiac and gluten sensitivity cases, and the corresponding uptick in foods marketed to sufferers, gluten-free diets have emerged from obscurity, and now the pendulum has swung completely in the other direction, And with this popularity push, people have latched on to avoiding gluten as a cure-all for many conditions aside from celiac, including migraines, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. While some have found relief, that doesn’t mean a gluten free diet will work in all cases.
And then there’s the idea that a gluten-free existence is the ticket to speedy weight loss. But, says Mark DeMeo, M.D., director of gastroenterology and nutrition at the Adult Celiac Disease Program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, “there’s nothing magical about a gluten-free diet that’s going to help you lose weight.” What’s really at work: Gluten-free dining can seriously limit the number of foods you can eat. With fewer choices, you’re a lot less likely to overeat,
but it can backfire too, because gluten-free doesn’t mean fat-free or calorie-free.
Without gluten to bind food together, food manufacturers often use more fat and sugar to make the product more palatable,” says Case. Consider pretzels: A serving of regular pretzels has about 110 calories and just one gram of fat. Swap them for gluten-free pretzels and you could get 140 caloriesand six grams of fat.
Should You Go Gluten-Free?
If you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, the answer is easy: Yes, you have to. But if you just want to give the diet a spin, know this: It’s a giant pain in the butt. Giving up gluten may sound as basic as cutting out bread or eating less pasta, but this isn’t just another version of the low-carb craze. Because gluten makes foods thick and tasty, it is added to everything from salad dressing to soy sauce to seasonings.Besides the hassle, you can end up with serious nutritional deficiencies. “Gluten-free doesn’t necessarily equal healthy, especially when people yank vitamin-enriched and wholegrain foods from their diets and replace them with gluten free brownies,” says Case. In fact, research suggests that those who forgo gluten may be more likely to miss out on important nutrients such as iron, B vitamins, and fiber.
Add this secret weapon to your diet for faster weight loss results.
This is where careful meal planning comes in, which may explain why some people feel so good when they go G-free: They’re eating real food instead of ultraprocessed packaged fare. “If you skip the gluten-free goodies and focus on fruits, vegetables, lean protein, dairy, and gluten free grains like amaranth and quinoa, this can be a very healthy way of eating
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Blackstrap Molasses
Recently I was diagnosed with Iron Deficiency and after having some side effects from taking Ferrous Fumurate Capsules this summer- I have been trying to find different foods that will help me with my deficiency. I have discovered several great foods that I can include in my daily intake- I am very impressed on the nutritional value of the blackstrap molasses- not just for iron, but for many other nutrients.
Blackstrap molasses is a healthy sweetener, full of nutritional value, unlike refined white sugar or artificial sweeteners like saccharine. Just two teaspoons contain over 10% of the US Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of calcium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, potassium and other valuable minerals and nutrients.
Calcium: Calcium is one of the important minerals required by our body. It is needed for forming and maintaining strong bones and teeth. Two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses meets 11.8% of our daily need for calcium.
Magnesium: It is essential not only for bones and cell energy production, but is also needed for regulating calcium levels. It controls the flow of calcium in nerve cells. Two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses daily provides 7.3% value for magnesium.
Copper: Copper is essential for iron utilization, production of hair and skin pigments known as melanin, free radical elimination, development of bone tissue, controlling good and bad cholesterol and other physiological processes in the body. Your breakfast cereal or tea, sweetened with two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses syrup will provide 14.0% of the daily recommended value for copper.
Manganese: Manganese protects the body against damage from free radicals. It helps in the production of protein and carbohydrates and is important for a healthy nervous system. Just two teaspoons of the syrup will supply 18.0% of the day's needs for manganese.
Iron: Two teaspoons of this syrup will supply you 13.3% of the daily recommended value for iron, replenishing your iron stores. Iron is essential for energy production and metabolism. Blackstrap molasses provides more iron and less calories and is especially useful for growing children and lactating women, as they are more prone to iron deficiency.
Potassium: It is important for the smooth functioning of the muscle and the nervous system. It helps to maintain the body's electrolyte and pH balance. Two teaspoons daily will provide you with 9.7% recommended value of potassium.
In addition to the above, blackstrap molasses is a good source of vitamin B6 and selenium. It has 16 calories, per teaspoon, which is the same as that of sugar.
Curative Powers of Blackstrap Molasses
It has been known to help in curing fibroid, anemia, anxiety, constipation, arthritic pain, heart palpitations, etc. It also helps to turn gray hair back to its original color.
Blackstrap molasses is a healthy sweetener, full of nutritional value, unlike refined white sugar or artificial sweeteners like saccharine. Just two teaspoons contain over 10% of the US Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of calcium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, potassium and other valuable minerals and nutrients.
Calcium: Calcium is one of the important minerals required by our body. It is needed for forming and maintaining strong bones and teeth. Two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses meets 11.8% of our daily need for calcium.
Magnesium: It is essential not only for bones and cell energy production, but is also needed for regulating calcium levels. It controls the flow of calcium in nerve cells. Two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses daily provides 7.3% value for magnesium.
Copper: Copper is essential for iron utilization, production of hair and skin pigments known as melanin, free radical elimination, development of bone tissue, controlling good and bad cholesterol and other physiological processes in the body. Your breakfast cereal or tea, sweetened with two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses syrup will provide 14.0% of the daily recommended value for copper.
Manganese: Manganese protects the body against damage from free radicals. It helps in the production of protein and carbohydrates and is important for a healthy nervous system. Just two teaspoons of the syrup will supply 18.0% of the day's needs for manganese.
Iron: Two teaspoons of this syrup will supply you 13.3% of the daily recommended value for iron, replenishing your iron stores. Iron is essential for energy production and metabolism. Blackstrap molasses provides more iron and less calories and is especially useful for growing children and lactating women, as they are more prone to iron deficiency.
Potassium: It is important for the smooth functioning of the muscle and the nervous system. It helps to maintain the body's electrolyte and pH balance. Two teaspoons daily will provide you with 9.7% recommended value of potassium.
In addition to the above, blackstrap molasses is a good source of vitamin B6 and selenium. It has 16 calories, per teaspoon, which is the same as that of sugar.
Curative Powers of Blackstrap Molasses
It has been known to help in curing fibroid, anemia, anxiety, constipation, arthritic pain, heart palpitations, etc. It also helps to turn gray hair back to its original color.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Going back to Coconut Oil
The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism and heart diseases. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.
Hair Care: Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shiny complexion. Regular massage of the head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry. Coconut oil is extensively used in the Indian sub-continent for hair care. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged hair. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. It is therefore used as hair care oil and used in manufacturing various conditioners, and dandruff relief creams. Coconut oil is normally applied topically for hair care
Skin Care: Coconut oil is excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin. The benefit of coconut oil on the skin is comparable to that of mineral oil. Further, unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having any adverse side effects on the skin with the application of coconut oil. Coconut oil therefore is a safe solution for preventing dryness and flaking of skin. It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin which normally become prominent with age. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. Therefore coconut oil forms the basic ingredient of various body care products such as soaps, lotions, creams, etc., used for skin care
Weight Loss: Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thereby burning out more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who eat coconut oil daily as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.
Digestion: Internal use of coconut oil occurs primarily as cooking oil. Coconut oil helps in improving the digestive system and thus prevents various stomach and digestion related problems including irritable bowel syndrome. The saturated fats present in coconut oil have anti microbial properties and help in dealing with various bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc., that cause indigestion. Coconut oil also helps in absorption of other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids
Immunity: Coconut oil is also good for the immune system. It strengthens the immune system as it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia.
Healing: When applied on infections, it forms a chemical layer which protects the infected body part from external dust, air, fungi, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil is most effective on bruises as it speeds up the healing process by repairing damaged tissues.
Infections: Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of infections due to its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. According to the Coconut Research Center, coconut oil kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, etc. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, etc. Coconut oil is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, etc.
Hair Care: Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shiny complexion. Regular massage of the head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry. Coconut oil is extensively used in the Indian sub-continent for hair care. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged hair. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. It is therefore used as hair care oil and used in manufacturing various conditioners, and dandruff relief creams. Coconut oil is normally applied topically for hair care
Skin Care: Coconut oil is excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin. The benefit of coconut oil on the skin is comparable to that of mineral oil. Further, unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having any adverse side effects on the skin with the application of coconut oil. Coconut oil therefore is a safe solution for preventing dryness and flaking of skin. It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin which normally become prominent with age. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. Therefore coconut oil forms the basic ingredient of various body care products such as soaps, lotions, creams, etc., used for skin care
Weight Loss: Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thereby burning out more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who eat coconut oil daily as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.
Digestion: Internal use of coconut oil occurs primarily as cooking oil. Coconut oil helps in improving the digestive system and thus prevents various stomach and digestion related problems including irritable bowel syndrome. The saturated fats present in coconut oil have anti microbial properties and help in dealing with various bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc., that cause indigestion. Coconut oil also helps in absorption of other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids
Immunity: Coconut oil is also good for the immune system. It strengthens the immune system as it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia.
Healing: When applied on infections, it forms a chemical layer which protects the infected body part from external dust, air, fungi, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil is most effective on bruises as it speeds up the healing process by repairing damaged tissues.
Infections: Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of infections due to its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. According to the Coconut Research Center, coconut oil kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, etc. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, etc. Coconut oil is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, etc.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
RESVERATROL
Resveratrol is the active ingredient in red wine that helps explain the “French paradox,” namely that the French typically eat a diet quite high in saturated fat, yet suffer a low rate of atherosclerotic heart disease. Resveratrol appears to work as a powerful antioxidant helping quench free radical damage in the body, but also has a unique mechanism of action that may prove to have significant life extension properties. Resveratrol also appears to protect DNA from free radical damage and can play an important role in protecting cells from malignant transformation.
Resveratrol may produce benefits similar to caloric restriction (CR).
The most powerful means of extending life span in animals appears to be through CR. While CR has not been shown to result in life extension in humans, some early studies suggest it may produce this desirable benefit. However, restricting calories by 30 percent or more as is necessary to produce these benefits is very difficult for most people. Therefore, a number of researchers have been looking for CR- mimetics, drugs that produce the benefits of caloric restriction without actually restricting calories. Research has focused on compounds that affect SIRT1, the gene that seems most closely linked with life extension from caloric restriction. Resveratrol appears to have a direct effect on the expression of SIRT1.One of the difficulties with resveratrol is that is easily oxidized and difficult to absorb. Research suggests taking resveratrol with lecithin can enhance absorption.
Although much more work is needed to explore the safety and benefits of the substance, which is sold over the counter as a nutritional supplement, the findings could lead to the long-sought goal of extending the healthy human life span, experts said. Preliminary tests in people are under way. Researchers have been looking for something like this for the last 100,000 years, and maybe it's right around the corner — a molecule that could be taken in a single pill to delay the diseases of aging and keep you healthier as you grow old. The potential impact would be huge.
The findings triggered excitement among scientists who study aging. They hailed the findings as groundbreaking.
Resveratrol may produce benefits similar to caloric restriction (CR).
The most powerful means of extending life span in animals appears to be through CR. While CR has not been shown to result in life extension in humans, some early studies suggest it may produce this desirable benefit. However, restricting calories by 30 percent or more as is necessary to produce these benefits is very difficult for most people. Therefore, a number of researchers have been looking for CR- mimetics, drugs that produce the benefits of caloric restriction without actually restricting calories. Research has focused on compounds that affect SIRT1, the gene that seems most closely linked with life extension from caloric restriction. Resveratrol appears to have a direct effect on the expression of SIRT1.One of the difficulties with resveratrol is that is easily oxidized and difficult to absorb. Research suggests taking resveratrol with lecithin can enhance absorption.
Although much more work is needed to explore the safety and benefits of the substance, which is sold over the counter as a nutritional supplement, the findings could lead to the long-sought goal of extending the healthy human life span, experts said. Preliminary tests in people are under way. Researchers have been looking for something like this for the last 100,000 years, and maybe it's right around the corner — a molecule that could be taken in a single pill to delay the diseases of aging and keep you healthier as you grow old. The potential impact would be huge.
The findings triggered excitement among scientists who study aging. They hailed the findings as groundbreaking.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
DARK CHOCOLATE
Why is Dark Chocolate Healthy?
Chocolate is made from plants, which means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. These benefits are from flavonoids, which act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can cause damage that leads to heart disease. Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number found in strawberries). Flavonoids also help relax blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide, and balance certain hormones in the body.
Thank you, dark chocolate, for making us feel good—not guilty—about dessert.
Try a chocolate with 70% or more cocoa. Two tablespoons of dark chocolate chips with fresh berries as a midafternoon snack or after-dinner dessert should give you some of the heart-healthy benefits without busting your calorie budget.
Chocolate is made from plants, which means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. These benefits are from flavonoids, which act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can cause damage that leads to heart disease. Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number found in strawberries). Flavonoids also help relax blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide, and balance certain hormones in the body.
Thank you, dark chocolate, for making us feel good—not guilty—about dessert.
Try a chocolate with 70% or more cocoa. Two tablespoons of dark chocolate chips with fresh berries as a midafternoon snack or after-dinner dessert should give you some of the heart-healthy benefits without busting your calorie budget.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Purchase Organic? Top Foods that you should and Why!
Info from "Prevention Magazine"
Buy Organic: Peaches
Why they're dirty: Sweet and succulent, peaches can be just as alluring to insects as to people. Farmers may spray peaches every week or two from bloom to harvest—and peach fuzz can trap pesticides, says peach breeder John R. Clark, PhD, a horticulturalist at the University of Arkansas, who peels every one of the thousands of peaches he eats each year.
Buy Organic: Celery
Why it's dirty: Due to peak consumer demand around Thanksgiving and Christmas, 75% of the crop is grown during the fall and winter, when rain and wind promote the growth of bacteria and fungal diseases. And because we eat the entire stalk, it must be sprayed repeatedly to ward off pests. "Nobody likes to find a caterpillar-damaged stalk in their celery bunch," says Stuart Reitz, PhD, a research entomologist with the USDA.
Buy Organic: Strawberries
Why they're dirty: Strawberries are not only sweet and juicy but also delicate and prone to disease, including fungal attacks that can turn them to mush during transit and storage. "With apples and peaches, a lot of spraying is cosmetic to get blemish-free fruits," says Richard Wiles, senior vice president for policy at EWG. "With berries, you're just trying to get them across the finish line into the store before they go bad."
Buy Organic: Apples
Why they're dirty: Sweet-smelling and delicious, apples are susceptible to more than 30 insects and at least 10 diseases. And fungicides and other chemicals are added after picking to prevent tiny blemishes that can accumulate during storage of up to 9months.
Buy Organic: Blueberries
Why they're dirty: Blueberries are new on the Dirty Dozen list—possibly because the USDA began testing them only 3 years ago, after large increases in production. The berries are targets for insects such as blueberry maggots and bagworms.
Buy Organic: Nectarines
Why they're dirty: Nectarines differ from peaches only in the absence of fuzz—a trait that likely arose as a natural mutation of a peach tree—so it's no wonder they're susceptible to many of the same pests, including oriental fruit moths and peach twig borers. Thanks to their waxy skin, they don't retain as many pesticides as peaches. On the other hand, they are more vulnerable to rot and scarring.
Buy Organic: Bell Peppers
Why they're dirty: Unlike cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, sweet bell peppers (which are technically fruits) have no bitter compounds to serve as built-in insect repellents. They even lack the fiery taste of their cousins, the chile peppers. And the creases at their crowns may provide nooks for pesticides to accumulate, says Philip Stansly, PhD, an entomologist at the University of Florida.
Buy Organic: Spinach
Why it's dirty: Spinach is a mere leaf that's crunched by a variety of insects, including grasshoppers. In addition, says Wiles, "spinach tends to pull persistent DDT residues out of the soil and into the leaf." These chemicals remain in the earth decades after they were banned.
Buy Organic: Kale
Why it's dirty: The outer leaves are not removed before sale, so any amount of damage will make it unmarketable. Even natural enemies of the pests that feed on kale can be considered contaminants in harvested produce, so farmers spray for all bugs, including the "good" ones.
Buy Organic: Cherries
Why they're dirty: Because cherries are a naked fruit—without peel or protection—they're vulnerable to pests such as the western cherry fruit fly. If just one of its maggots is found in a shipment, the entire load of fruit must be dumped, according to quarantine regulations, so growers spray out of fear of losing their crops.
Buy Organic: Potatoes
Why they're dirty: New to the list, America's number one vegetable is sprayed 5 or more times throughout the growing season to protect against various pests—and to ensure a crop of uniform shape and size for fast-food outlets and potato chip producers. After harvesting, another round of spraying occurs in the packing shed to ward off molds and sprouting
Buy Organic: Imported Grapes
Why they're dirty: During their long transit from the southern hemisphere, imported grapes are susceptible to Botrytis cinerea rot, which causes the fruits to split and leak. To prevent that, farmers spray aggressively with fungicides. (Domestic table grapes do not need the same spraying because most are grown in the dry desert climate of Southern California, where botrytis does not thrive.)
Buy Organic: Peaches
Why they're dirty: Sweet and succulent, peaches can be just as alluring to insects as to people. Farmers may spray peaches every week or two from bloom to harvest—and peach fuzz can trap pesticides, says peach breeder John R. Clark, PhD, a horticulturalist at the University of Arkansas, who peels every one of the thousands of peaches he eats each year.
Buy Organic: Celery
Why it's dirty: Due to peak consumer demand around Thanksgiving and Christmas, 75% of the crop is grown during the fall and winter, when rain and wind promote the growth of bacteria and fungal diseases. And because we eat the entire stalk, it must be sprayed repeatedly to ward off pests. "Nobody likes to find a caterpillar-damaged stalk in their celery bunch," says Stuart Reitz, PhD, a research entomologist with the USDA.
Buy Organic: Strawberries
Why they're dirty: Strawberries are not only sweet and juicy but also delicate and prone to disease, including fungal attacks that can turn them to mush during transit and storage. "With apples and peaches, a lot of spraying is cosmetic to get blemish-free fruits," says Richard Wiles, senior vice president for policy at EWG. "With berries, you're just trying to get them across the finish line into the store before they go bad."
Buy Organic: Apples
Why they're dirty: Sweet-smelling and delicious, apples are susceptible to more than 30 insects and at least 10 diseases. And fungicides and other chemicals are added after picking to prevent tiny blemishes that can accumulate during storage of up to 9months.
Buy Organic: Blueberries
Why they're dirty: Blueberries are new on the Dirty Dozen list—possibly because the USDA began testing them only 3 years ago, after large increases in production. The berries are targets for insects such as blueberry maggots and bagworms.
Buy Organic: Nectarines
Why they're dirty: Nectarines differ from peaches only in the absence of fuzz—a trait that likely arose as a natural mutation of a peach tree—so it's no wonder they're susceptible to many of the same pests, including oriental fruit moths and peach twig borers. Thanks to their waxy skin, they don't retain as many pesticides as peaches. On the other hand, they are more vulnerable to rot and scarring.
Buy Organic: Bell Peppers
Why they're dirty: Unlike cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, sweet bell peppers (which are technically fruits) have no bitter compounds to serve as built-in insect repellents. They even lack the fiery taste of their cousins, the chile peppers. And the creases at their crowns may provide nooks for pesticides to accumulate, says Philip Stansly, PhD, an entomologist at the University of Florida.
Buy Organic: Spinach
Why it's dirty: Spinach is a mere leaf that's crunched by a variety of insects, including grasshoppers. In addition, says Wiles, "spinach tends to pull persistent DDT residues out of the soil and into the leaf." These chemicals remain in the earth decades after they were banned.
Buy Organic: Kale
Why it's dirty: The outer leaves are not removed before sale, so any amount of damage will make it unmarketable. Even natural enemies of the pests that feed on kale can be considered contaminants in harvested produce, so farmers spray for all bugs, including the "good" ones.
Buy Organic: Cherries
Why they're dirty: Because cherries are a naked fruit—without peel or protection—they're vulnerable to pests such as the western cherry fruit fly. If just one of its maggots is found in a shipment, the entire load of fruit must be dumped, according to quarantine regulations, so growers spray out of fear of losing their crops.
Buy Organic: Potatoes
Why they're dirty: New to the list, America's number one vegetable is sprayed 5 or more times throughout the growing season to protect against various pests—and to ensure a crop of uniform shape and size for fast-food outlets and potato chip producers. After harvesting, another round of spraying occurs in the packing shed to ward off molds and sprouting
Buy Organic: Imported Grapes
Why they're dirty: During their long transit from the southern hemisphere, imported grapes are susceptible to Botrytis cinerea rot, which causes the fruits to split and leak. To prevent that, farmers spray aggressively with fungicides. (Domestic table grapes do not need the same spraying because most are grown in the dry desert climate of Southern California, where botrytis does not thrive.)
Sunday, January 18, 2009
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