UPDATE: See our rundown of the Dirty Dozen list for 2014
Good day Joyous Readers!
Great news! The Environmental Working Group has just updated the dirty dozen and clean 15 list for 2013.
What is the dirty dozen?
It's a list of the 12 (plus 2 more) fruits and vegetables that have the highest levels of detected pesticides after being washed. There are changes to take note of including:
3 changes to the Dirty Dozen - these have been added:
Cherry Tomatoes
Hot Peppers
Summer squash ie. zucchini
Which means 3 have been removed: lettuce, blueberries, green beans.
What is the Clean 15?
It's a list of fruits and vegetables with the lowest pesticides detected.
There has been 1 change to this list: Watermelon has been removed and replaced with papaya.
Here is the updated list which you can download: [downloadlink file="2013/04/JoyousHealth_ShopClean_2013-download.pdf"] The 2013 DIRTY DOZEN AND CLEAN FIFTEEN SHOPPING GUIDE"[/downloadlink]. Print it off and take it shopping with you!
[downloadlink file="2013/04/JoyousHealth_ShopClean_2013-download.pdf"]
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Here is a video from Dr. Alex Lu, Harvard talking about exposure to pesticides in produce.
[youtube link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkRqaRQRZyo]
Hopefully you are already filling your grocery cart with delicious and nutritious foods, including most of them organically farmed.
Important Note:
Organic is not only better for us, but it's better for the planet and future generations. So while there is a list of "clean 15" foods, I still encourage you to buy organic as often as possible. Even better when you can get local and organic. Get to know the foods that are local to the area you live and when they are in season, buy them in bulk! For example, buy extra blueberries and freeze them so you can enjoy them well after the harvest is over. Farmers Markets are an eye-opening experience and you can talk to the farmers first-hand and get to know them, ask questions and really know what you are eating.
Farmers Market season is upon us, so here are some tips to make your shopping experience as joyous and budget-friendly as possible http://www.joyoushealth.ca/2012/06/25/10-farmers-market-shopping-tips/
Have a joyous day!
Your Clean dozen is not actually clean if it's GMO. GMO's have built in roundup (pesticides). True clean is Organic and or non GMO Pesticide free.
ReplyThe "clean 15" means that it is the lowest level of pesticide residue. So yes, you are absolutely right, this does not mean that you are protected from GMO's. Only certified organic foods in Canada and the US are free from GMO. I personally buy mostly all organic when available even for the Clean 15 but this is a good entry point for people who don't know where to start. Also, do keep in mind that not all conventional food is GMO. Just because it's non-organic does not automatically mean GMO.
I wonder how applicable this is for people living in the UK (and Europe). In the "hungry gap", most of our produce come from Spain and Italy. Of course there are also plenty of imports from places like Kenya, Egypt, South Africa and such. How can we determine if North American Dirty Dozen applies to our produce?
ReplyI suggest you write to the Environmental Working Group and ask them to do a test on produce from other countries.
[...] see this list: Dirty Dozen & Clean 15 for the updated 2013 [...]
Reply[...] now more than ever. As a total aside, Joy McCarthy of Joyous Health just had a great post on the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 for 2013 that I loved. Print out her PDF and go shopping. Go go gadget fruit and [...]
ReplyHas anyone got any further with the EWG and finding out about if the Dirty Dozen applies to the UK/Europe?
Replydo leafy greens such as boston lettuce, lettuce & others fall within 'dirty dozen?' where do watermelon, string beans, sugar peas, and romas fall? and is the skin of eggplant safe?
ReplyI recommend all leafy greens be purchased organic and if not, look for local and wash really well. All foods are safe, it's a matter of the level of pesticides they contain. Eating any veggies is better than eating none at all. Hope that helps! Yes, the skin of eggplant is safe to eat. It's not on the dirty dozen.
[…] Non-organic fruits and vegetables especially the dirty dozen contain pesticides that can mimic estrogen. Choose organic as often as […]
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