Minimize your exposure to pesticides with conscious produce purchasing.
The summer months are an optimal time to focus on produce-heavy meals that are sourced from farmer's markets and local farms. When sourcing produce, the cleanest fruits and vegetables are organic. That's because organic produce is grown in mineral-rich soil and not sprayed with cancer-causing pesticides, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, known as “forever chemicals.”
Organic produce often costs more, and shopping all-organic produce isn't sustainable for every consumer. In order to maximize the benefits of organic produce, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) produces an annual list of the Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen.
The Clean Fifteen contains 15 fruits and vegetables that were the least contaminated with pesticides when analyzed by the EWG. The Dirty Dozen contains 12 fruits and vegetables that were most contaminated with pesticides. If you have to choose a limited number of produce to buy organic, these are the ones you should prioritize.
Learn more about these produce classifications and shopping for local produce in our other blog post, Summer Produce: Farmer's Markets and CSAs.
If you'd like a deeper dive into your nutrition and total toxic burden, book a free consultation for new GLIM patients or schedule a follow up appointment for existing patients to learn more.
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