28 LOSE IT! VOLUME 31
HEALTH
This year, kale has made a
comeback to the list – it is now
sitting in third place, after last
appearing on the Dirty Dozen
list in 2009. Strawberries and
spinach have retained their spots
from 2018 as numbers 1 and 2.
In fact, strawberries seem to be
a real problem; they have topped
the list for four years in a row.
If you can’t afford to buy the
organic versions of these foods
for your whole family, consider
buying organic produce just for
your children or for you during
your pregnancy. Children are more
susceptible to neurotoxins because
their brains are still developing
and the dose of pesticides per
body weight is likely to be
higher in children. Pesticide
exposure puts children at a higher
risk for a variety of chronic
conditions as well as learning
and behavioural issues. A study
published in Pediatrics supported
the hypothesis that pesticide
exposure, at levels common in US
children, may contribute to the
prevalence of ADHD.
If you really can’t afford
organic at all, one option is
to fill your shopping cart with
fresh produce from the Clean
15 list, which have been found
to contain the lowest levels of
pesticide residue.Fortunately, many of the
veggies that are the mainstay of a
low-carb eating plan are included
in the Clean 15 list.While consuming pesticides with
our produce comes with risk, so
too does not consuming a variety
of vegetables in decent quantities.
Vegetables are incredibly health-
promoting, and many experts
in the nutrition field still believe
that the benefits of eating
vegetables outweigh the risks
of pesticide exposure. It is clear
that more research needs to be
conducted to confirm exactly
which risk is greater.PHOTOGRAPHS: LIZA VAN DEVENTER, GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGESTo complicate matters, the
pesticide exposure risk may not
even be the same from person
to person. Some people may be
better at detoxing than others,
which means that consuming
conventionally grown produce
will have fewer negative
consequences for them. Your
genes, lifestyle and other dietary
habits will also determine your
susceptibility to chronic disease.
While the Dirty Dozen and
Clean 15 lists are a helpful guide,
a report by the World Health
Organisation and United Nations
found that the Dirty Dozen lists
can also result in consumers
having negative attitudes towards
fruit and veg consumption,
resulting in people eating less of
them. Eating less fresh produce
shouldn’t be anyone’s goal.Should you stop
eating the Dirty
Dozen altogether?Vinegar
Add one part vinegar
to three to four parts
water and let them
soak for about 20
minutes to remove
as much of the
pesticides and
bacteria as possible.Bicarbonate
of soda
If you don’t like the
smell or lingering
taste of vinegar,
use a solution of
bicarbonate of soda
instead. One to two
teaspoons of bicarb in
a bowl of water should
do the trick.Commercial
fruit and veg
washes
These can be bought
from most health
stores and work
very effectively. ■Washing your fruit and
veggies under water
doesn’t necessarily get
rid of all pesticides and
chemicals, but it can
reduce your exposure.
Even better is to go one
step further and use
the following washes to
remove more pesticide
residue.WASHING WELL DOES HELP
TRY THIS
- Use a vegetable
brush when washing
produce with thick
skin and throw away
the outer leaves
of leafy green
vegetables such as
cabbage and lettuce
before washing.
Peeling produce
reduces toxin
exposure.- While avoiding
pesticides completely
is a daunting (if not
impossible) task,
being armed with
information helps
guide our choices.
This is what the Clean
15 and Dirty Dozen
lists aim to achieve.
Awareness of the
issues and potential
risks involved is key.- The next time
you’re in the
grocery store to
pick up a punnet
of strawberries,
remember they’re at
the top of the Dirty
Dozen list. Look
around for organic
ones. It might
mean foregoing
the purchase of
something else.
- The next time
- While avoiding