Why bother eating organic produce and foods made from organic ingredients--in other words, grown from non-genetically modified seeds and in soil not treated with pesticides? Toxic load is one big reason. In 2009, the Environmental Working Group cited a study by the US Dept. of Agriculture that found 70 percent of fruit and vegetable samples had five to 13 different types of pesticides. In a study that same year, the Centers for Disease Control found 96 percent of 5,000 Americans had pesticides in their blood and urine samples that same year.
Buy Berries Organic Whenever Possible
The nonprofit group Organic.org recommends consumers purchase the following foods as organic: strawberries, apples, nectarines, peaches, sweet bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, pears, spinach, lettuce and potatoes, as these are heavily treated with pesticides.
Cruciferous Vegetables Have Fewer Pesticides
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), fruits and vegetables that tested to have fewer pesticides include onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, mangoes, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potatoes, eggplant, watermelon, honeydew, melon, cranberries, broccoli, bananas and winter squash. The foods are rated from least to most exposed to pesticides. The EWG recommends that consumers eat organic produce to reduce exposure to toxins from pesticides.
Eat a Wide Variety of Fruits and Vegetables to Lose Weight
To lose weight safely and permanently by eating organic foods, emphasize fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. Fruits and vegetables have a large water content and are low-calorie. For example, 50 small organic strawberries provide 160 percent of the USDA's recommended allowance of vitamin C for just 50 calories. A small apple is about 40 calories and provides fiber and pectin to help you feel satiated. Eating a small apple before every meal can help you consume fewer calories to speed weight loss. See the USDA's dietary guidelines for losing weight in its nutritional matrix, "My Pyramid."
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