Ever since I've learned about the danger of non-organic food I've been feeling a bit down about my food, even though my diet is technically healthier than before. I don't want to be eating pesticides every day but money is tight and I just can't afford to pay those prices of organically grown produce (don't have a way to grow my own either).

Is there anything that can be done to reduce the pesticide issue with non-organic produce?

Thanks



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2010 02:17PM by Delta223.

hi delta,

I would suggest reading which fruits and veggies are imperative that you buy organically, and which are ok that you don't ...

for instance strawberries organically are a must, persimmons not necessary to buy organic, etc...

I had a link to an article but it is no longer working...so maybe some online research can help you...but I gotta go just wanted to write you real quick xoSTacey

DO buy organic:

apples
pears
peaches/nectarines
celery
lettuce
spinach
grapes
cherries
potatoes
bell peppers


It's not as necessary to buy organic:

bananas
avocados
pineapple
garlic
mango
cabbage
asparagus
watermelon
grapefruit

Wash your fruit thoroughly. It helps a little.

Notice many of the foods that aren't as necessary to buy organic have thick peels that aren't normally eaten.

Not sure if I can agree with the logic behind that (assuming the peels are supposed to protect the plant). Those pesticides get into the soil too, which means they'll be taken in through the roots. I'd imagine its hard to escape the drawbacks of pesticides

Delta, there have actually been allot of tests, and they have found that veggies and fruits with thick peels/rinds have exponentially lower amounts of toxins in them than fruits and veggies that do not have thick peels/rinds... with strawberries being the biggest offenders...

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Delta - many pesticides are systemic. This means that when you spray the foliage of a plant the herbicide/ pesticide what ever it is is drawn through the vascular system of the plant right through it's stems and roots. The peel will not protect the inner fruit from this kind of spray.

It's a bit like the flea treatment that people use for their dogs - a little drop of poison on the dog's scruff which will spread throughout the whole dog's bloodstream so that the flea will be poisoned wherever it bites the dog.

I think it's important to know what plant receives what spray and how many applications e.g. some lettuces are sprayed upto 22 times. California uses more pesticide than the rest of the states put together (sorry can't ref. that but was appalled when I read it) the two worst offenders being grapes and strawberries.

I live in very rural south west England and see cauliflowers growing by the coast. The living for the farmers there is very hard - it's a tough existence - long cold winters etc. They don't want to spend money on sprays if they can possibly avoid it - the cauliflowers are not ravaged by pests and so they do not spray BUT they are not classified as organic - does it matter - not to me, I understand their predicament and I trust the produce.

So I think it's a question of finding out exactly where all your food comes from. Some needn't be organic, some really should be - it's a research situation.
I try to buy organic when I can afford it to send the message to the government that it's what people want but I also like to support struggling local farmers who cannot afford the organic status themselves but will be completely honest with me about how they have grown their crops.

At the end of the day I do the best I can and don't stress about it when I cannot eat organic.

Delta, as presented, the information wasn't a logical argument; it was a way of helping memorize the list. The fruits on the lists come from measurements of pesticides in the fruits, not random guesses. However, if you extrapolate from the information given. . .

Quote

The fruits least likely to test positive for pesticide residues are avocados, pineapples, mangoes, kiwi, domestic cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit and honeydew.

--[www.foodnews.org]

Notice they all have skins that normally aren't consumed. This probably is not a coincidence. Many pesticides definitely can and do enter the plants through root absorption and other methods, but the skin does offer some protection even if modest. It's what skins are for.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2010 03:57PM by veghunter.

Where did you get the data on pesticide levels in fruits and greens? I would like to look into this

I buy non-organic greens in the summer from local farms. They're cheaper, bigger and better looking than some of the organic stuff that gets shipped from CA to the east coast.

I just juice them when they're non-organic. I believe the studies that say that the pesticides are stuck to the outside like glue and if they can't wash off easily, they're not being squeezed into the juice. they're stuck to the pulp that doesn't get eaten.

I don't really eat salads much.. but when I do it's usually organic stuff or non-organic lettuce/cabbage and the outer layer is peeled off.


Fruit..again, the non-organic looks and tastes better. So I just peel off the waxy looking skin. Green/GrannySmith apples for instance.. the organic ones are just blah.

Click the link.

When I became raw, the two things I was strict on is it must be raw and organic. To me it's worth it for health reasons. If I must get conventional, which I rarely do, I clean with vinegar. You can make your own cleanser, but it still doesn't counteract all the toxins. So just do the best you can.

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