26/05/2023
Fancy Farm Girl fights Fibro!
THE CLEAN 15 AND DIRTY DOZEN LIST 2023
Yes, I've decided to fess up about my health, what's helped and what's not because I've learned ALOT in the last few years and it could be valuable to someone else on a similar road. So here we go. I have a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia, ME/Chronic Fatigue and PTSD. Yuk, right? Let's start gently with lightening the "chemical load" and for this, let me introduce .... THE CLEAN 15 AND THE DIRTY DOZEN
Buying organic food is often more expensive, but you can reduce the cost by growing your own, (Much More to come on this!), or getting organic vegetable boxes delivered to your door.
However, if buying conventional produce, the Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen list can give some guidance. The list gives a break down of what has the least and most pesticides and is a great place to start when choosing what produce is best to purchase organic, and what is passable as non-organic.
Have a read below to find out more about what organic means and read through the clean 15 and dirty dozen list for your next shopping trip.
What is organic food?
According to the Organic Foods Production Act, the definition of an organic product is “animal products sold or labelled as organic are not given any kind of antibiotics or growth hormones, are only fed organic feed and are not given any medications aside from vaccinations or to treat illness…
“Fruits and vegetables labelled organic are grown without using most pesticides, fertilisers with synthetic ingredients; there is no irradiation treatment; seeds and transplants are chemical-free; the fertiliser is natural.”
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF ORGANIC FOOD?
Well, I did a lot of research on this and found many "studies" finding no real benefit to organic were funded by companies with skin the game. And studies finding pesticides to be harmless, again, skin the game. So.....
Better Nutrition, this study found that organic fruits and veggies contain 27% more vitamin C, 21.1% more iron, 29.3% more magnesium, 13.6% more phosphorus, and 18% more polyphenols than non-organic.
No Pesticides.
The function of pesticides is to poison things. Food that’s grown with the use of poison carry this potential risk to us.
We tend to be relaxed about it because 'everyone' is doing it. But then 'everyone' is also getting sicker aren't they? Every health issue linked to pesticides is on the rise. I feel, the math is right on front of us, but it is Very inconvenient, in a world where convenience is king!
SO WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I CAN’T AFFORD ORGANIC?
Prioritise quality meat, eggs and dairy products. This way you can limit your exposure to the use of hormones and antibiotics found in conventional products. As well as the benefit of avoiding these additives, you're also making an ethical stance to support the humane treatment of animals.
While it would be nice to buy everything organic, it’s simply not possible for most of us.
The Clean 15 lists vegetables that naturally have limited exposure to pesticides. Often this is because of a thick skin. Allowing the produce to protect its edible parts from pesticides, meaning it’s safer to eat and better for us. Think apples (on the dirty list) vs. avocados (on the clean list).
THE DIRTY DOZEN
(In order of most contaminated)
Apples
Celery
Capsicum
Peaches
Strawberries
Nectarines
Grapes
Spinach
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Blueberries
Potatoes
THE CLEAN 15
To save $, buy these conventionally wash and in warm water with 4 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
Onions
Sweetcorn
Pineapples
Avocado
Cabbage
Peas
Asparagus
Mangoes
Eggplant
Kiwifruit
Melon
Kumara / Sweet Potatoes
Grapefruit
Watermelon
Mushrooms
Gee, well done, you, if you got all the way down here! And thank you. :-)
I'll be posting regularly so if this is helpful to you, follow on and share with anyone else who may find it useful. Especially anyone with Fibro, CFS/ME .
God bless xx
