You may often be told that there are lots of foods you should buy organic. But be it down to the additional cost, inconvenience or simply not taking any notice of all of the conflicting advice out there, you may not be buying many organic foods. There’s nothing wrong with this, but if you would like to go a little more organic, the best thing that you can do for your health is to avoid pesticides. Here are 7 foods you should buy organic if you want to avoid pesticides.
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1. Apples
Of all the top foods you should buy organic, apples are often, out of all fruit and vegetables, the most contaminated with pesticides. Because many of us will eat apples regularly and perhaps encourage our children to do so, it is really worth buying them organic. Or, you could even buy an apple tree from a nursery and after a couple of years you could have lots of your own lovely apples in abundance.
2. Spinach
Spinach is a lovely, versatile vegetable that’s packed full of goodness. Unfortunately it’s also packed full of pesticides. It’s something that many of us would like to get more of into our diets, be it cooked or in salads, so why not make it extra healthy and buy it organic?
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3. Strawberries
In the US, there are 65 different pesticides, fungicides and herbicides approved for use on strawberries and they are the most chemically intensive crop grown in California. If this puts you right off those strawberries and cream you enjoy each summer, consider buying organic strawberries from now on.
4. Celery
One reason that celery is among the top foods you should buy organic is because of the way it grows. It has such a high water content, soaking up huge amounts of water from its environment, that it takes in all of the toxins and chemicals in the soil too.
5. Cherries
Cherries have a high pesticide content because they’re so attractive to pests and are therefore vulnerable, requiring more chemical ‘protection’ than many other fruits and vegetables. They’re also vulnerable to viruses and fungal diseases, so they get double the chemical action. This certainly doesn’t double the appeal!
6. Potatoes
Growing potatoes is a slightly odd affair, because the chemicals put into the soil before they are even planted kill off the natural nutrients in the soil. This is then compensated for by huge quantities of chemical fertiliser. They are generally sprayed again mid-growth and before harvest, to kill insects and control blight.
7. Bell Peppers
Peppers are among the foods you should buy organic because they are treated with insecticides so many times during their life; the best-case scenario is two, but it can be up to six times! On top of this, they are often additionally sprayed with herbicides, fungicides, fumigants and lots of other nasty things too.
It can be a little bit depressing when you’re trying to eat healthily but even the fruit and vegetables you enjoy are full of chemicals. You definitely don’t need to worry about going totally organic, but if you change your buying habits with even just a few of these foods you should buy organic, you’ll drastically cut the amount of chemicals going into your body from your diet. Are there any foods that you always buy organic?
Source: canadianliving.com