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What is a “Dirty Dozen”?

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Dirty Dozen?

When I began the organic phase of my food journey I found “the dirty dozen”.  A group of foods that have the MOST pesticide residue left on them and IN them.  I didn’t know that I couldn’t just wash off the pesticides–I’ve learned a lot since then!  These 12 foods are foods that you should buy organic if you can . . . 

 dirtydozen

How can I remember 12 foods?

Once you get to know me . . . and I hope you will . . . I forget things.  A LOT.  Not just silly things like garbage day–but big things like birthdays and anniversaries.  It’s not that I don’t care, I do!  But no matter what I do–the names, dates stuff like that, just doesn’t stay with me.  

[tweetherder]”Oh crap, was that today?”[/tweetherder]

Is one of my mantra’s (you can tweet that!).  So when I looked at the list I was overwhelmed.  But then I took a closer look and realized that I didn’t buy half of what was on the list so I didn’t really need to memorize the entire list.  And now they have an app for the dirty dozen (or you can just make a note of it on your phone).  What seemed so hard–really wasn’t once I thought about it.

This is from pbs.org:  The fruits and vegetables on “The Dirty Dozen” list, when conventionally grown, tested positive for at least 47 different chemicals, with some testing positive for as many as 67. For produce on the “dirty” list, you should definitely go organic — unless you relish the idea of consuming a chemical cocktail. 

  1. celery
  2. peaches
  3. strawberries
  4. apples
  5. domestic blueberries
  6. nectarines
  7. sweet bell peppers
  8. spinach, kale and collard greens
  9. cherries
  10. potatoes
  11. imported grapes
  12. lettuce

I routinely buy apples, strawberries (in season usually), my greens–romaine lettuce, spinach, and kale, potatoes and peppers.  My family is not a big fan of grapes, cherries, blueberries–any choking hazard (now that I think about it) . . . I don’t buy!  I love the Farmer’s Market–any farmer’s market anywhere–not to say that it still isn’t “dirty” but I can at least ask the farmer what he sprays or if he does at all!  

Remembering just the foods that I use and not worrying about what I don’t use–made this list more manageable.  I thought I CAN do this!

Feel free to google “dirty dozen” for a million sources.  You can find the app for your phone here.

L.O.V.E.,

Renee

Need more veggie inspiration?  Follow me on Pinterest!

 

Food School: a 31 day course (Day 12-feed lot “art”)

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This summer I grew rosemary, thyme, cilantro, basil, mint and sage in containers on my deck–it took up very little space and my yield was incredible–even when I forgot to water them :-)

My garden was on the smaller size yet I had more strawberries, cucumbers, several varieties of tomatoes . . . than I could eat.  

IMG_3202

So you can imagine when I saw these aerial shots of a feedlot.  I am amazed at how many thousands of acres it takes to “grow” beef.  

I’m still trying to understand it all.  We grow the genetically modified corn, to feed the cow, the cow stands in his own crap, then kill them and hose them down with more antibiotics . . . I’m sure there is more to the story . . . and I’m completely over simplifying the situation.  But however the story is told–there is NOT a happy ending.

I don’t understand it and I think the cattle farmers want it that way!  But I know if I had that much space–I could grow a lot of strawberries!

The pictures are abstract and beautiful in a sad way.  I encourage you to look at them to see a sliver of beauty among such an ugly situation.  

I urge you to find your local farmer who has grass-fed cows in a manner that is gentle to the earth.  Eat Wild is a searchable website that is awesome!

Eat with LOVE:  Local, Organic, Vegetables, Everyday.

Be Blessed.

 To receive a free copy of my Blessed by Breakfast cookbook, please go to http://blessedbybreakfast.com and sign up! I send updates that include; family tested and approved recipes, video tutorials, tips and tricks on how to begin your day with the blessing of food.

cookbook coming soon

Books I suggest: The Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat,

Young Readers Edition The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

Hope’s Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet

Some of my friends have also joined the 31 day challenge:  

Anastacia Maness  http://rocksolidfamily.com/31-days-building-commitment/

Racquel Narciso http://howtomakeitinsanfrancisco.com/…/

Pamela Hodges http://ipaintiwrite.com

I’m linking up to these blogs. 

 

Does Organic mean non-GMO?

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Question:  Does organic mean GMO free?

organic vs. con

I did not make this info graphic

I’ve been re-evaluating my food choices over the last year for these reasons:

  1. I wanted to lose 70 lbs.  I still want to lose weight but it is coming off more slowly the closer to 50 I get!  I’ve had some success but not nearly as much as I would like.  I met with several nutritionist who had different views with one common theme–I needed a cleaner diet.  
  2. I’ve had a food aversion to eating meat.  This isn’t a new phenomenon for me–with each pregnancy I opted not to eat meat with a bone, read meat, cured meat, or meat in any type of sauce.  These aversions were very surprising because I love meat–I love preparing meat–or at least I did.  So when this new food aversion began about a year ago–I laughed it off and thought I was going through a phase–NOT.
  3. Self love and honoring myself was not something that I really ever did–but now I’m learning that I am not my past or my future–I am now, and what I eat in this moment matters.
  4. Each morning I wake up and look at my kids.  I am reminded that I need to be responsible for what they eat and help them make good choices–I need to model those choices.
  5. My daughter decided that she did not want to eat dead animals.  “I do not want to harm any living thing.” So I honor that.  But it really challenged how I looked at food.
  6. I joined a CSA, planted my own garden and found a chicken farmer who loves his hens!
  7. Let’s be honest–I’m going through my second puberty and I’m just questioning everything that everyone has ever told me.  I want to make my own choices about what is safe and good for me.

But I wondered . . . does organic mean GMO-free?  I wrote here about GMO’s and how they may not be a healthy food choice but I’ll like to offer this video trailer as well–can’t wait for the movie.

Answer:  The easiest way is to avoid GMOs is to buy organic produce, avoid processed foods, avoid foods and ingredients on the Non-GMO Project’s high-risk list and look for products with the Non-GMO Product seal.

This article states:  It’s hard enough to find time to grocery shop and put food on the table, let alone become an expert in the details of food labels. 

I can totally do that!

What I have discovered is a series of loopholes in the wording.  I’ll be writing about that soon–but this is more great information on “organic” and “gmo”.

History of GMO standards in U.S. organic agriculture

  • In 1997, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its draft National Organic Program rule. At this time, they proposed that organic allow the use of GMOs. This proposal was unacceptable to consumers, manufacturers, retailers, farmers, and basically anyone who had anything to do with organic.
  • The organic community united to “Save our Organic Standards” and deluged the USDA with comments. After receiving more than 275,000 comments from the public opposing the use of GMOs in organic, the final USDA organic rule, which went into effect in October 2002, prohibited the use of GMOs in the production and handling of organic products.
  • The final rule outlines that an organic operation has to document that it has not used GMOs and takes reasonable steps to avoid contact with GMOs. Whether a product is labeled “100% organic,” “certified organic” (with an allowance of 5% non-organic ingredients) or “made with organic” (a minimum of 70% organic ingredients), none of the ingredients are permitted to use genetic engineering.That means in a “made with organic” cereal containing 70 percent organic ingredients, the remaining 30 percent non-organic ingredients cannot be produced from genetic engineering. Providers of non-organic ingredients being used in organic products, must also be able to provide proof that their ingredients are non-GMO.
  • An organic certifier may require testing when there is reason to believe that an organic product has come in contact with GMOs.

Be Blessed as you make mindful choices for your mind, body and spirit.

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