Health and Wellness Blog

Most of us are aware by now that pesticide treated produce is not good for us but how many of us really do anything about it? Why?  It's partly a question of economics – yes, pesticide treated fruits and vegetables are cheaper and often look more appealing! It's also a question of availability – your local grocery store may have limited selection of non-pesticide treated produce. Last but not least, you may be a skeptic wondering what all the hype is about. 

Well, let's state the obvious first… pesticides are toxic by design (they are meant to kill). If that doesn't convince you, look at the scientific evidence linking pesticides to a variety of health problems, among them hormone disruption, cancer and brain toxicity.

So, should you give up on produce all together?  Of course not!  The David Suzuki Foundation recommends choosing local, organic produce, whenever possible. But since this is not always possible, here is a list of the worst offenders aka The Dirty Dozen (in order of contamination). Check out also their Clean Fifteen list.

                1. Apples                                                                  7. Grapes
                2. Celery                                                                  8. Spinach
                3. Sweet bell peppers                                                9. Lettuce
                4. Peaches                                                               10. Cucumbers
                5. Strawberries                                                         11. Blueberries
                6. Nectarines                                                            12. Potatoes

But if you must dip into the 'Dirty Dozen' make sure to wash the produce well  before consuming, or try even 'spritzing' with a home made natural cleaner.

For more information on pesticides and their environmental and health effects, check out these books from your local TPL branch.

         e-Book edition
 

     Book recommended by a patron        on the use of pesticides