Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat Organic
Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat Organic

Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat Organic

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.

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.


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Last modified: 2007-03-27
Last reviewed: 2006-09-01

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