Cut Chemicals With the Dirty Dozen, Clean 15 Lists

14 May Cut Chemicals With the Dirty Dozen, Clean 15 Lists

Eating organic can seem overwhelming to your wallet, but the key is to make strategic choices. Making the simple choice to cut out the biggest food offenders containing high levels of pesticides and toxins from your diet can have noticeable results.

A recent study shows people who buy organic produce have lower levels of organophosphate insecticides measured in their bodies even though they eat more produce than people who buy mostly conventional grown fruits and vegetables.

This video, which follows a family that tries eating organic for two weeks, shows the measurable impact eating organic whenever possible can have – especially when starting with the Dirty Dozen. Use the EWG’s 2016 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce^TM as your guide. Commonly known as the “Dirty Dozen,” this list shows the dirtiest, or most pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables.

Just removing these non-organic products will take away a large amount of toxic exposure from your diet. From there, if you need to buy non-organic produce (although we do encourage eating as much organic as possible!), use the annual list from the EWG. When you avoid buying as many of the Dirty Dozen from the list below while you shop, you’re limiting your toxic exposure.

The EWG’s Shopper’s Guide ranks different fruits and vegetables by the total number of pesticides found on them. The guide is based on testing by the USDA and the federal Food and Drug Administration. Pesticides have been linked to a number of health problems, including cancer and lower IQ in children, according to the report, which has been updated every year since 2004.

You can also check out the Clean 15 list, which shows the 15 cleanest, or least contaminated produce. Organic is best, but when you need to buy non-organic produce, these choices are your next best bet.

Use the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists whenever possible as you shop to eliminate the most chemicals from your diet. This small step can go a long way to limiting the chemicals and toxins your body can be exposed to from food. Shop smart, SuperLifers!