The Dirty Dozen

Eating fresh produce is one of the best ways to get nutrients in your diet and support optimum health, But did you know many of our foods are often sprayed with toxic pesticides and finished with preservatives to maintain freshness during shipping? You are what you eat and these chemicals can get into your system wreaking havoc on your health. Ideally, you would want to buy your food from a local farmer at the farmers market or through a food co-op. However, with the rising cost of living and our increasingly busy lifestyles it is difficult for many people to support this purist way of eating. Not to worry, you can still achieve a healthier lifestyle without breaking the budget by adopting what is known as the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15.

These lists will help you to know where to focus your dollars while grocery shopping. The Dirty Dozen are the foods that you really should buy organic. These produce items either have thin skins, like berries, or are structured in such a way that they tend to absorb more toxic chemicals. Conversely, the Clean 15 are typically characterized by thicker skins, preventing the edible portion from contamination. While not every fruit and veggie is on a list you can use these skin characteristics when choosing the more neutral produce.

According the Environmental Working Group, 98% of strawberries, spinach, peaches, nectarines, cherries and apples tested positive for residue of at least one pesticide. One sample of strawberries tested positive for over 20 pesticides. Pesticides are linked to numerous health issues like cancer, ADD, and auto immune disease. While your diet should be full of fresh fruits and vegetables make sure you don’t undermine your health and gainz by adopting these lists when grocery shopping.

This post was originally written for Crossfit Round Rock.