Produce, Pesticides & You

Pesticides were designed to be toxic to pests and unwanted plants. Mission accomplished! 

Unfortunately, many of these chemicals are also toxic to humans and wildlife.  Ooops…..

Risks from pesticide exposure include respiratory problems, cancer,  hormone/endocrine disorders,  skin rashes, eye irritation, and even brain and nervous system toxicity. 

If buying organic all the time isn’t financially realistic; or if you aren’t able to find the organic produce you are looking for, don’t panic!  Experts all agree that the benefits of eating a fiber rich diet filled with whole, colorful fruits and veggies far outweighs the risks of consuming conventionally grown produce with a little pesticide residue. 

Takeaway: Load up on veggies, leafy greens and fruit, no matter how they are grown. 

That said, some crops are so heavily sprayed that going organic, when possible, makes good sense. A sensible general guideline when deciding whether to go organic is the thicker the outer skin or peel, the less pesticide contamination. 

Produce with thick, inedible outer rinds, such as cantaloupe and butternut squash, may have lower levels of pesticide residue than those with edible, soft skin, such as berries and tomatoes. Unfortunately, pesticides are made to penetrate the outer peel and skin in order to protect the produce from the inside out, but it still makes sense that the thicker the barrier between the inner and outer layer of the fruit or vegetable, the better the protection it confers against pesticides. 

Each year the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit, non-partisan organization committed to protecting human health and the environment, publishes a list of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables that have the highest and lowest pesticide residue levels remaining on fruits and vegetables after they’ve been washed. These lists are known as the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15” and are valuable guides in helping you to decide when it makes sense to prioritize organic.

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DIRTY DOZEN™

• Strawberries

• Spinach

• Kale

• Nectarines

• Apples

• Grapes

• Peaches

• Cherries

• Pears

• Tomatoes

• Celery

• Potatoes 

Note: 

1. Strawberries have topped the DIRTY DOZEN™ list for the past four years. 

2. After many years off the DIRTY DOZEN™ list,  Kale made a in 2019, ranking number 3 for the highest pesticide residue levels.

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CLEAN 15™

• Avocados

• Sweet corn

• Pineapples

• Frozen sweet peas

• Onions

• Papayas

• Eggplants

• Asparagus

• Kiwis

• Cabbages

• Cauliflower

• Cantaloupes

• Broccoli

• Mushrooms

• Honeydew melon

*”a small amount of sweet corn, papaya and summer squash sold in the United States is produced from Genetically Engineered (GE) seed stock. Buy organic varieties of these crops if you want to avoid Genetically Engineered produce”.(*Environmental Working Group)

Referring to these lists when grocery shopping can help you determine where it makes sense to go organic, and where it’s perfectly fine to choose conventional produce. The list changes annually, so you should check it from year to year to stay current. 

To shop cleaner, download EWG’s handy Healthy Living App for more than 120,000 ratings on food and personal care products! It’s an indispensable resource, helping you to decode labels and make informed decisions about what you put in and on your body.

Why Resolve Isn’t Enough, and What You Can Do About It.

January is finally here, and with it a flurry of New Year’s resolutions, big and small.  

We want to:

·   Lose weight

·   Declutter our homes

·   Get fit

·   Spend time with friends + family

·   Find our dream job

We’re filled with optimism, yearning for positive change, and excited to get started.

But by Valentine’s Day, nearly 80% of us abandon our bright, shiny resolutions and return, heads held low, to old habits and stale ways of operating.

What can we do better in 2019? How can we stack the odds in our favor, and increase our chances of creating the life we want?

Here are some helpful tips that may just carry you over the finish line, and put you in the company of the 8% of people who reach and maintain their stated resolutions:

• Plan ahead and think about how you will achieve your goals. Like any destination, reaching goals requires a roadmap. Saying you want to eat more meatless meals is one thing; knowing how to do it in a way that’s healthy, satisfying, and actionable is another.

  Stocking your fridge and kitchen with plant-based ingredients and pantry staples, along with researching what it means to put together a nourishing plant-focused meals, sets you up for success. Planning keeps stress, frustration, feelings of deprivation and, in this case, hunger at bay, making it far more likely you’ll stick to your goals and press on.  

• Share your resolutions with a trusted family member, friend, therapist or wellness coach. The goal here is to pick someone who truly has your back, and wants the best for you. Frenemies need not apply!  Research shows goals are easier to achieve when we open up, and discuss them with others. It gives your goal weight, and builds in accountability as well as support.  Yep, it really does take a village!

• Create some wiggle room for slip ups. If resolutions are too rigid – like eliminating entire food groups overnight or ditching alcohol when you’ve been enjoying two glasses of wine with dinner for as long as you can remember - you’re more likely to back-slide, feel discouraged, and lose motivation. Bad days and bad decisions happen. Knowing you can pivot and reset your intentions is powerful. Each day, each meal, each interaction, each moment is an invitation to reboot and move the needle forward.

• Create goals that really resonate with you! This one’s big! If you don’t feel hyper connected to your New Year’s resolution, likelihood is it’s not going to take. Think about it. Going vegan for a partner is far less likely to stick than going vegan because it’s something you deeply believe in and want for yourself.  

The last bit of inspiration I’ll leave you with is this: Measurable, lasting change takes time, patience, and persistence. Habits aren’t broken and seamlessly replaced with new, upgraded behaviors in 21 days, even if self-help books lead us to believe they do.

So, be gentle with yourself. Speak kindly to yourself. Remind yourself why you made the resolution in the first place, and then tell yourself you are capable and worthy of ALL the good things that will come from following through on your New Year’s promises.

Finished.

Lots to like about the Organic Pharmer 5 Day Jump Start meal program:

• Fridge FULL of high quality plant-based meals, snacks, juices, smoothies and shots.

• Five days of anti-inflammatory eating. No gluten, soy, corn dairy, eggs. Guaranteed.

• The convenience of a fully prepared, “no cooking required” meal program. No hurdles between me and eating well.

• Loved fresh, cold pressed green juices each morning. So refreshing.

• Enjoyed creamy infused nut milks at night. They were cozy and comforting. Perfect wrap to the day.

• Immunity shot. Comes in a little glass bottle like the one from Alice in Wonderland, minus the words “Drink Me”. Feels really special, a tad bit medicinal, and tastes great too. Tip: Add it to a glass of sparkling water to make a healthy“mocktail”.

• Portions. They were generous and filling.

• No hunger. No cravings.

• Realigned me with my wellness habits, including drinking more water, sipping hot water and lemon first thing in the a.m., reducing caffeine, and deep breathing.

• It was a nice break to step away from all food related work and decisions: no planning. no shopping, no cooking, no cleaning. Gave me the space I craved to slow down, and feel more grounded.

Here’s what would have made it even better:

• Stocking my fridge with a few extra items before I started. Yes, I did a small food shop once the program began, but it would have been nice to have it in the fridge, ready to go!

Here’s what I bought:

1. Pre-washed + packaged baby greens to use as sides for wraps, tartines + a morning chickpea/veggie frittata. This is not required, but I’m always looking to add greens where I can.

2. Crudite to enjoy with the the OP hummus included as an “anytime” snack in the program.

3. Lemons and limes to add brightness to green juices, salads and tartines.

4. Avocado to add fiber and healthy fats to salads/snacks. Especially good if you are planning any vigorous workouts while on the program.

5. raw Nuts and seeds to add protein, healthy fats, fiber, crunch and satiety to salads and other items on the plan. great if you’re feeling you need a little extra fuel in the tank.

• Picking the right 5 days to commit to the program. I did the program from Tuesday to Saturday, which took me into the weekend. For me, it would have made more sense to do the program during the week, when I’m more structured and less likely to eat out or indulge.  Here’s where the 3 Day Jump Start can make a lot of sense, as it’s easier to carve out three days, than five, and can be used as a “start of the week (M, T, W) reset”.

• I love the @organic-pharmer_ny Power Protein Bar, and wish there was an extra one or two included in the program. It’s delicious, super portable and filled with oats, walnuts, banana, goji berries, coconut chips, chia seeds, hemp protein powder, and lots of other yummy, nutritious ingredients! I may need to negotiate for that next time.

All in all I was very happy with the 5 Day Jump Start meal program, and recommend it to anyone in generally good health looking to temporarily step off the merry-go-round, infuse their diet with healthy, organic, plant-based foods, and feel great.