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Speaking of Organic Foods...

Cool shopping list you can download and keep in your wallet as a reminder - it tells you the 12 produce items with the highest and lowest pesticide levels so you can shop accordingly. I just cannot afford to buy organic all the time, so I like this to avoid the worst offenders.

- Melissa

Excerpt from the web site linked below:

Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce

When you're grocery shopping, it's easy to find labels and pick foods that help you reduce cholesterol and saturated fat, avoid antibiotics, or steer clear of artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners. But when it comes to pesticides, consumers have been left in the dark. Now there's help.

The Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce lists the 12 popular fresh fruits and vegetables that are consistently the most contaminated with pesticides and those 12 fruits and vegetables that consistently have low levels of pesticides. If you are concerned about pesticides in your diet, the handy wallet card can help you choose produce that lowers exposure to pesticides for you and your family.

For the most contaminated items, we suggest substituting organically grown produce whenever possible. When this is not an option, we still recommend eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables but use this guide to buy those that typically have fewer pesticides.



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Wed. Jun 8, 11:16am

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hey! where is the link?

Wednesday, June 08, 2005, 11:17 AM

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Link!

Putting it in comments, here and "Associated URL" below. Let's see what works...

http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

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Wednesday, June 08, 2005, 11:23 AM

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vegetable wash:

I don't know if you have Trader Joes where you live, but if you do you know that eating organic doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg (as opposed to what you would pay at a store like Whole Foods!). As a vegetarian, I shop their every week, and can buy almost entirely organic on a teacher's salary.

They also sell a really GREAT fruit and vegetable wash at TJ's that works wonders! I forget the name of it, but it takes the wax right off of apples, and the grime off of potatoes, and is completely natural. I use it around here (I live S of Chicago) because I buy a lot of produce in the summer from local farmers (who tend to use fewer chemicals than commercial farmers do, and charge much less for their produce) because their food is usually unwashed. I don't think you can shop online from Trader Joes, but their web page may have the product listed and you can check to see if you have a store near you.

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Wednesday, June 08, 2005, 11:50 AM

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? results


I used to work as a food microbiologist and as an analytical chemist at the National Food Laboratory and I tested for pesticide residues as well as microbial counts.

I found banana peels to have high amounts of residues. The amounts found in the bananas were less but it was there, this was a well known banana supplier too. Secondly oranges have a porous skin and they also had amounts higher than "trace" amounts. Using a veggie wash or even just a scrub brush on your veggies & fruits is a GOOD idea.

Everyone should realize that pesticide residues, growth hormones in your meat, antibiotics in your poultry have an added effect (cumulative) and its not good for your body. I question why is it that cancer, etc.. have seen an alarming increase in the past 20 years?

whenever possible if there is one item that you should spend a little more its what you put into your body. Its your fuel and forget about the fancy $125 jeans spend it on your food.

Don't expect the FDA to care for you,their scope is limited as are their resources.

Educate yourself. Buy from companies that support sustainable farming.



Wednesday, June 08, 2005, 4:22 PM

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AND HOW!

Whenever possible, support local farmers, organic farmers, and any corporation that treats animals, workers, and the land with respect, because there's a better chance they'll be doing the same for you!

Wednesday, June 08, 2005, 9:03 PM

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on that topic (and with no intention to be at all political ... just thought this was extremely clever), check out this site:

http://www.StoreWars.org

Star Wars parody. Use the Farm, Cuke. Reach out with
your peelings.



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Wednesday, June 08, 2005, 11:55 PM

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What a cool group here!

Love the comments, thank you former food microbiologist and others!

I can't afford to buy all organic, but I do my best. Always support my local farmers all season long and I'm joining a dairy cooperative to get fresh milk. No growth hormones for me!

Thursday, June 09, 2005, 8:14 AM

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organic now in mainstream

I don't know how others feel about Wal-Mart and I certainly do not wish to start a debate here, but for those who are on a tight budget (self included), Wal-Mart is starting to carry more and more whole foods, organic foods and other healthy items like truly natural body care products at a reasonable price. Now, not very many of their body care items that claim "natural" are organic, but if you look, you will find some.

I think it is really important to remember that what we put ON our bodies is just as important as what we put in them. Your skin is the largest organ of the body and believe me, absorbtion of synthetic ingredients, fragrance oils and other nasty things is just as harmful as the pesticides in our food. It also causes an alarming amount of allergic reactions that you wouldn't even dream of. Most of them are attributed to the food you eat, but many times, going to a 100% natural &/or organic approach to body products will eliminate the problem!

Bobbi - herbalist

Monday, June 12, 2006, 9:33 AM

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