provided by Realage.com
Avoiding the “dirty dozen” could dramatically cut your exposure to pesticides.
What’s the dirty dozen, you ask? It’s a watch list of the 12 most pesticide-polluted fruits and veggies. Solution: Grab the organic versions.
Good Reason to Go Organic
According to John La Puma, MD — RealAge expert and author of the new book ChefMD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine: A Food Lover’s Road Map to Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, and Getting Really Healthy — going organic with these 12 fruits and veggies could cut your exposure to pesticides as much as 90 percent!
Fruits
- Peaches and nectarines
- Strawberries and cherries
- Apples and pears
- Imported grapes
Veggies
- Spinach and lettuce
- Potatoes and celery
- Sweet bell peppers
Beyond Pesticides
Cutting your exposure to pesticides is only one reason to go organic. La Puma says you’ll be healthier, too, because some organic foods are more nutritious than their conventionally grown counterparts.
And here’s a surprise: even the organic version of this condiment may be healthier for you. Whether it’s revving up our veggie burgers or toning down our barbecue sauces, ketchup is one condiment few people could live without.
So squeeze more out of it by going organic. Organic ketchup packs three times more lycopene than the regular stuff and almost twice the level of flavonoids. Here’s what all that extra nutrition means for your body.
Love That Lycopene
Lycopene gives fruits (like tomatoes!) and veggies a rich red color, and it may give your body a leg up on loads of diseases — from cancer to clogged arteries. Check out this collection of lycopene-rich recipes from EatingWell.com.
Tricks of the Trade
Here are a few more tricks for getting more lycopene with less effort.
- Absorb 400 times more lycopene from your salsa by adding this.
- Choose this color tomato for more bioavailable lycopene.
- Do this to your watermelon before you slice it to up the lycopene content.
Check out ChefMD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine for additional healthful-eating guides, tips, and reports.
For an accurate calculation of your RealAge, visit www.RealAge.com.
Developed by McKesson Corporation. Published by McKesson Corporation.
Last modified: 2007-03-27
Last reviewed: 2006-09-01
Reprinted with permission by RealAge, Inc. Copyright (c) 1999-2007. All rights reserved. RealAge is a U.S. federally registered trademark of RealAge, Inc. Republication or redistribution of RealAge, Inc. content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of RealAge, Inc. RealAge, Inc. shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.Adult Health Advisor 2007.2 Credits
Copyright © 2007 McKesson Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved.