Help in choosing fresh fruit and vegetables - "Farmaceuticals"
Fruits and Vegetables - "Farmaceuticals"
Produce Choices
Prefer FRESH, then FROZEN, ORGANIC Produce
Studies show that on average, organic produce has
significantly higher mineral levels than inorganic. A
recent $25-million E.U. study found that organic food has 40% more antioxidants,
is far more nutritious than ordinary produce, and can improve your health and longevity.
Inorganically grown fruits/vegetables typically receive ~10 pesticide treatments
from seed to storage. If produce sits in your fridge without
deteriorating for weeks -there's a clue! Look for genuinely organic foods, harvested
when ripe, preferably from local producers.
Choose organic animal products over organic produce
If you must economize , the most important foods
to purchase organically would be animal
products, not fruits and vegetables. Animal products
tend to concentrate pesticides more, particularly in their fat (Non-organic meats
have up to 5 times more pesticides than non-organic vegetables). The worst contaminated
food, however, is NON-organic butter, which has up to 20 times as many pesticides
as NON-organic vegetables.
Guide to 4 or 5 Digit PLU Codes on Products
Conventionally grown produce. Has
4-digit PLU code (Eg. 4011)
Genetically modified (GM)
produce. Has 5-digit code beginning with 8,
but distributors are not legally required to include it, and usually don't, leaving
just a 4 digit code
Organic produce. Has 5-digit code, starting
with the number 9: (Eg. 94011)
Results of ~ 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce
by the USDA and the FDA (Updated Nov. 2006)EWG (a not-for-profit organization)
found that consumers could reduce their pesticide exposure by nearly
90% by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and
eating the least contaminated instead. If eating produce from
the "Dirty Dozen", it makes sense to choose organic
The "Dirty Dozen"
(starting with the worst)
The "Cleanest 15" (starting with
the best)
1. Strawberries 1. Avocados
2. Spinach 2. Sweet corn
3. Kale, collard & mustard
greens 3. Pineapple
4. Peaches 4. Onions
5. Pears 5. Papaya
6. Nectarines
6. Sweet peas (frozen)
7. Apples 7. Asparagus
8. Grapes 8. Honeydew melon
9. Bell & hot peppers 9. Kiwi
10. Cherries
10. cabbage
11. Blueberries
11. Mushrooms
12. Green beans
12. Mangoes
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Watermelon
15. Carrots
How to remove pesticides from fruits and vegetables
Thorough scrubbing and washing reduces pesticides
by anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2.
Alternatively, some choices to remove pesticides before consumption:
• Spray with 3% Hydrogen
peroxide (H2 O2 ) solution then rinse
• Soak produce
in a baking soda solution for 12 minutes. 1 tsp. baking soda
to 1.5 L water (or~a slightly heaped tsp. in 1/2 gal.); a Mass. univ. study showed
it reduces pesticides and toxic chemicals to normal levels;
Extend produce life by storing them in bags with
as much as possible of the air squeezed out before sealing it.
After harvesting, fruits and vegetables release ethylene gas,
which accelerates ripening, aging and rotting. Removing air decelerates this process.
Fruit
How much fruit to eat in a day?
Eat 2 pieces/servings FRESH fruit / day.
To obtain Vitamin C ,
Antioxidants ,
polyphenols ,
fiber + Eat 1 BANANA: for potassium + other minerals
Limit total fructose intake to <25g / day.
<15g if tackling a health problem;
How much fructose
in fruit?
Consider net carb content.
Too
much fruit, especially high sugar fruits can soon add excessive carbohydrate
grams. Net carbs is calculated as total carbs less fiber carbs.
Acai berries
Pomegranate
Wild Blueberries
Cultivated Blueberries
Cranberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Red Delicious / Granny Smith Apples
Sweet Cherries
Black Plums
Plums
Other fruity considerations
Seeds -
chew them
Skins - wash thoroughly; contain
highest amount of antioxidants
High
Vitamin C Fruits
: Orange
Red Grapes
Kiwi Grapefruit
Alkalinity - generally, too
much of the Western diet is acid producing. Most (not all) fruit and vegetables
provide the alkalizing balance.
Body's Acid/Alkaline Balance
All raw fruit (except cranberries, plums and blueberries)
have an alkaline effect on the body. Lemons,
kiwi, and oranges have a strong alkalizing effect on the body.
Lemon Juice
is a health-promoting alkalizing drink
Cooked fruit (includes processed fruit juices)
has an acid affect on the body
Commercially Processed juice
Vitamin C was measured in 8oz glass OJ made from samples taken at the point of
manufacture:
• OJ made from frozen
concentrated OJ -173% DV
• OJ from concentrate
-161.2% DV
• Pasteurized OJ
-138.4% DV
Frozen concentrated OJ retains its vitamin C much better than ready-to-drink
OJ in glass or cardboard containers:
• You can add spring water
- Reconstituted OJ has water from dubious
sources.
• Keep on-hand in freezer
- Takes up little space.
However, you may want to stay clear of OJ altogether . . .
•
OJ contains too much fructose
(25g in 8oz glass, ~8 tsp. sugar. Almost as much as a can of soda).
Over-consumption of fructose (>25g/day)
spikes blood sugar, a known factor in INSULIN -resistance/diabetes/obesity,
high blood pressure and heart disease.
Excess Fructose
• Commercial OJ resembles
nothing found in nature. Even though the label states "Freshly-squeezed"
and "Not-from-concentrate", after the oranges are squeezed, the oxygen is removed
from the juice as it is stored in up to million gallon holding tanks, allowing it
to keep for up to a year without spoiling. However, this process also makes the
juice completely flavorless, so the industry hire flavor and fragrance companies
to engineer flavor packs to re-flavor the juice.
Food Renegade July 28, 2011
• Any fruit juice
stored in cans or containers contain unbound methanol which increases risk of M.S..
The neurotoxin methanol in stored juice dissociates from pectin and
converts to tissue-damaging formaldehyde in the brain. Fresh fruits and vegetables
contain lots of methanol but it is bound to pectin and can do no harm, since your
body lacks the enzymes to break it down. Interestingly, moderate alcohol (i.e. ethanol)
consumption neutralizes methanol, possibly explaining the heart health benefits
of having one alcoholic drink each day. BTW, also avoid aspartame, since it also
rapidly metabolizes to methanol.
Dried fruit
Choose organic, unsweetened, unsulfured
High fructose content, so eatin moderation
• Aprocots
• Dates
• Prunes
• Coconut
• Raisins
• Cranraisins
• Figs
Vegetables
Aim for 4 different vegetable servings/day.
Best raw, juiced, steamed or in soup
• Especially include dark green vegetables
• Soups/stews retain some vitamins
• Minimally steamed vegetables retain vitamins
• Add butter to vegetables and cream to soups
- to be able to utilize their minerals;
• Add chicken, beef or lamb bones to soup to
make a nutritious stock (traditionally slow-cooked
bones release calcium and other easily absorbed minerals, gelatin, and collagen)
Carrots
Parsnips
Spinach
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Squash
Sweet Peppers
Sweet potato
Avocado
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Cauliflower
Potato
Turnip
Peas
Green Beans
Beets
Corn
Eggplant
Garlic
Onions
Leeks
Radish
Asparagus
Celery
Green/Red Leaf Lettuce
Romaine Lettuce
Artichokes
Of special mention:
Avocado.
Rich in nutrients; 1/2 an average Haas avocado has more potassium than a
banana
Beets.
Loaded with vitamin B; stimulate bile
flow - contain betaine, a rich source of hydrochloric acid, which is not only
needed for digestion, but also triggers the release of bile from the gallbladder.
Tomatoes.
Skins and seeds have high
lectin content
and should be removed before consumption;
Broccoli .
Contains sulphorane, an anti-cancer component
