Do You Know Where Your Food Comes From?

As seen in the eye-opening documentary, Food, Inc., the industrialization of food has meant the addition of preservatives, pesticides, and many other chemicals which can be harmful to our health and to the environment.  Additionally, it means that there are generally only a handful of large farms growing the majority of any particular crop throughout the country.  That means distribution is costly both in terms of money and resources.  However, not all food is created equally.  Some foods are better than others - both for you and the rest of the planet - and getting your food from quality, sustainable sources can benefit you in more ways than one. 

Environmental contamination with pesticides (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here’s how to know where your food comes from and to make an educated buying decision.

#1.  Check your food’s mileage.  Many foods come from half way around the world to land on your kitchen table.  That means that they’re often harvested early (and green), robbing you of nutrients.  It also means that to make the trip they are filled with preservatives and pesticides to maximize productivity and enhance longevity.  To find out where a food comes from, simply check the label.  It will say, "Grown and raised in Iowa" or "California oranges", or "Farm-raised in Thailand" and so on.

Buying food that comes from just down the street, or at least within your home state, accomplishes two things.  It helps to ensure you’re not receiving nutrient-poor foods or foods heavily loaded with toxins. It also reduces the carbon footprint and helps the environment.

#2.  Buy according to what is in season. Buying strawberries in December is definitely going to cost you more in terms of carbon footprint and money than buying them in June or July (at least in most areas of the world). 

#3.  Buy fruits and vegetables locally.  Buy your fruits and vegetables from local organic farmers who can charge much less for their produce because they don’t have to pay for distribution.  Additionally, you’re helping to sustain your local economy and you’re ensuring that thousands of gallons in fuel are not required to get the produce from the farm to your table. 

Organic, locally grown food at a farm market. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Joining a CSA (community sustained agriculture) program (my favorite!) or shopping at your local farmer’s market is also a great way to buy foods which are both healthy for you and the environment. CSAs are most often organic farms and do not pour pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and fungicides into the earth.

#4.  Try growing a few fruits and veggies on your own.  Whether you live in a small space or you have acres of land, you can grow your own herbs, fruits and vegetables.  This not only provides immense satisfaction, it saves you money and is good for the sustainability of our planet. (See our sustainable gardening blog for tips and helpful resources on starting your own garden, or visit www.newholisticliving.com/sustainablegardening.html.)

#5.  Finally, whenever possible, buy organic.  Organic farmers treat your food and the planet with more respect.  Unlike industrialized farms, they do not use chemical pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers.  They use sustainable practices to keep you and our planet healthy.

Knowing where your food comes from is important for the planet, but it’s also important for your own health and the health of your family.  Pay attention and take measures to buy your food from sustainable resources.  You’ll be glad you did.

Learn More About Your Food:
   

Want to Buy Healthy? Check Out These Healthy Shoppers Resources

Shopping in today's world can be a mind-boggling exercise, especially if you are concerned about buying the healthiest foods for you and your family - avoiding toxins, getting the best nutrition, and supporting your local community at the same time.

Here are some excellent resources you may find very helpful in guiding you through the food shopping jungle!  (And of course be sure to check back here, as we share helpful tips on these sorts of things on a regular basis. For ideas and recipes for preparing healthy meals, also see our Cooking From Scratch blog.)

EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce
Image via WikipediaThis is a great one you will always want to check with when trying to decide which fruits and vegetables to buy organic and which are OK to buy conventional. And keep your eyes on this blog, as this is updated annually, and we always post the new results when they become available.

The Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass just released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This interactive map shows where to find USDA-supported projects in your area that support local food. Just click the link to learn more about markets near you.

The Meat Label Decoder, in EWG's Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change + Health. This handy guide gives some helpful tips on how to read labels on meat and dairy products. From free-range to lean, it helps you know what you're buying.

Organic vs. Natural. What's the difference between natural and organic anyway? If you still find these terms a little confusing, our friends at The Organic Center have published this handy tip sheet to help you out.

EWG's Sugar in Children's Cereal Report. Did you know that many popular cereals have more sugar than
Twinkies or chocolate chip cookies?? This report may shock you. (Click the "Full List of Cereals" link to find out where your favorite ranks.) And if you're looking for a healthier alternative breakfast choice, try the yummy recipes in tip #4.

Use these resources to shop healthier the next time you go grocery shopping!

Support Your Right to Choose...Pesticide-Free Produce

We don't usually post fund-raising stuff here, but this is an important one. EWG's pesticide guide almost didn't get published this year - namely because "the powers that be" (a.k.a. our government) tried to squelch it. EWG put the pressure on, and got them to release the data, but as a non-profit, they are only able to bring such valuable information to us through our support. Please read the important letter below, and if you feel so moved, they would welcome your donations.  (I know it says by July 14, but they will still happily receive your donations after that date as well.)

(Published by the Environmental Working Group)

Dear Friend,

Did you know that our Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce -- the resource that
helps you to shop smarter -- almost didn't happen this year? Industry lobbied the
government to stop releasing the data EWG uses in the Guide and to keep you from
finding out about pesticides in your food. 

EWG fought back and made sure the government released the data, because our top
priority is empowering you with the best possible information to help you make
healthy choices.

But, we can't keep doing our research without your support, and we need you now more
than ever. We need to raise $25,000 by midnight Thursday, July 14 to keep us on
track for our 2011 budget. I'm counting on you to help us get there.

Give $10 or more today, and we'll send you our Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in
Produce bag tag. It clips onto your reusable shopping bag to help you make smart
choices about produce while you're shopping, http://tinyurl.com/5rusrza.

For EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, we compiled FDA and USDA data on
pesticides in food and simulated the eating habits of thousands of consumers. EWG
encourages everyone to eat more fruits and vegetables, period; but we've shown that
by eating the right kind of produce, you can reduce your family's exposure to
pesticides by up to 92 percent.

EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce tells you exactly which foods are
most important to buy organic to limit your exposure. 

This seventh edition of EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce almost didn't
happen, but because of the watchdogging work we do with your support, we got the
data you rely on. 

A donation before Thursday, July 14 will give us the ability to keep doing
everything we can to arm consumers like you with the latest information to help you
make sound decisions at the grocery store.  

Don't have your Guide yet? Click here to make an immediate, secure donation of $10
or more to EWG and we'll send you our Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce bag
tag. We need your support to keep empowering consumers with the latest food safety
data, http://tinyurl.com/6c3lyeo.

We recommend buying organic if you can. It's the best way to keep your family safe
from pesticides in fruits and vegetables. But we know that's not always possible, so
we published the research you need to make smart choices. 

We can't keep doing this kind of work without your continued support, so please make
a donation right away.

Sincerely, 

Ken Cook 
President, Environmental Working Group

Are You Unwittingly Devouring Dangerous Toxins?

Well, I know I just published a post on this earlier this month, but it's time for the new and updated Dirty Dozen!  Just released this week is EWG's 2011 list of most contaminated fruits & veggies. There have been some noteworthy changes, so be sure to check out the updated lists.  Here is a helpful article on this, as well as links to the lists on the EWG site.


The Dirty Dozen - 2011 (Originally Published by Healthier Talk.com)

Fourteen.

Image via WikipediaThat, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), is the average number of pesticides you are likely to be unknowingly gulping down in an attempt to be healthy by eating your five fruits and vegetables per day.

Of course, that’s if the produce you’re choosing happens to be on the EWG’s "Dirty Dozen" list of fruits and vegetables with the worst overall pesticide scores.

Last week, the EWG released the seventh edition of its Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. And, as always, they’ve included handy "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15" lists based on the total pesticide loads for 53 conventional fruits and vegetables.

The pesticide data, gleaned from figures collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, revealed some changes to last year’s lists, the ones that I wrote about in June of last year.

The bad news? The fruit I spoke so highly of just last week for its ability to help ward off cancer and diabetes...apples...has risen up the ranks three spots on the list to take over first place as the most-contaminated produce. And cilantro made its debut on the dirty list...just shy of the dozen at number 13...with 33 unapproved pesticides on 44% of the samples tested. (You can see the full list here.)

The good news? Delicious cancer-fighting cherries dropped off the dirty list. (Yay!)

The BEST news? According to the EWG’s careful calculations, we can slash our exposure to toxic pesticides by a staggering 92% simply by choosing fruits and vegetables from the clean list!

Image via WikipediaBut keep in mind that the EWG is not encouraging us to shun the fruits and veggies on the "Dirty Dozen" list. There are way too many delicious and good-for-you items on it. Instead, they remind us to just be sure to choose organic produce whenever possible. While you will not be bringing your pesticide exposure down to zero, you’ll certainly be making a big dent in it.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering if washing your produce will remove the pesticides, the answer is "maybe a little." But the fact is the fruits and vegetables used in the testing were already peeled (when appropriate) and carefully washed.

The fruits and vegetables that made the EWG’s "Dirty Dozen" this year are the following:

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

And its "Clean 15" are the following:

1. onions, 2. sweet corn, 3. pineapples, 4. avocado, 5. asparagus, 6. sweet peas, 7. mangos, 8. eggplant, 9. cantaloupe (domestic), 10. kiwi, 11. cabbage, 12. watermelon, 13. sweet potatoes, 14. grapefruit, and 15. mushrooms.

And remember that to easily spot organic produce—in North America at least—you need to check the sticker on the fruit or vegetable.

Generally, if the five-digit number starts with a 9 it’s organic and if it starts with a 3 or 4 it’s conventional. (Although 8 was reserved for genetically modified foods, it’s rare to see it used since that unholy union of Big Agriculture and the biotech industry has fought labeling of any kind on GM foods.)

When to Buy Organic

Here is another great guide from the EWG (those guys are fabulous! If you haven't checked out their website, you can do so at www.ewg.org - they have tons of really cool resources on reducing your toxic load, among other things.)

Image via WikipediaThis one is a handy-dandy list that I now carry in my wallet, which lists which are the most toxicly loaded vegetables, and which ones are okay to buy conventionally grown.

Here is more about this nifty guide:

When Should You Buy Organic?(Originally published by the Environmental Working Group)
Free Guide Ranks Pesticide Contamination of Fruits and Vegetables

If you're concerned about food safety, you probably already look for organic produce at the supermarket. But if you can't always buy organic, you can still dramatically lower your family's exposure to chemical pesticides by choosing the least pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables with the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. The Shopper's Guide is a handy, wallet-size card that lists the "Dirty Dozen" most contaminated fruits and vegetables, as well as the 12 most "Consistently Clean" items. It's available for free download at www.foodnews.org, in both English and Spanish versions.

The Shopper's Guide was developed by Environmental Working Group (EWG), based on the results of nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce by the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2004. EWG's computer analysis found that consumers could cut their pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead.

Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to about 15 pesticides a day, on average. Eating the 12 least contaminated will expose a person to fewer than two pesticides a day.

Click here for rest of article....

Or, go straight to http://www.foodnews.org for your own free copy of the guide, and be sure to print it and carry it with you whenever you shop!

Organic Foods and the Environmental and Economic Impacts

If you are interested in switching to organic foods, you may first do a little bit of research.  If so, you are likely looking to find more information on the benefits of eating organically.  When doing so, you will see that there are a number of health benefits to eating organically, but did you know that organic foods can also help to improve the environment and the economy?  They can and for more information on how so, please continue reading on (or visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/csa.html for info on finding locally grown organic foods in your area).

It is no secret that many farmers use pesticides and other chemicals when growing many fruits and vegetables.  Although many of these pesticides are “technically,’ considered safe, many still have concerns.  After all, if the chemicals can be used to kills bugs and bacteria, what can they do to our bodies?  This is a huge concern for many individuals, especially those who are concerned with their health and exactly what it is they are putting in their bodies.  Also, does simply just rinsing a vegetable make the food any safer?  What about the impact on the environment?  These are all common questions that many have.

Speaking of the environment, did you know that many soils become contaminated when pesticides and other similar chemicals are used?  Contamination is more than possible.  In fact, did you know that many of the farmers who wish to switch to growing organic foods need to overhaul their fields or wait a specific period of time until their soils can be considered clean again?  This just goes to show the impact that unnatural foods an have on the environment.

Image via WikipediaAnother one of the many ways that organic foods can help to improve the environment and the economy is with the survival of quality food manufacturers.  All organic food should be certified by the QAI (Quality Assurance International).  This certification process is not easy to pass, as there are a number of strict rules that must be followed and certain qualifications must be met.  Unfortunately, not everyone is able to meet these standards.  This means that only the quality and dependable organic food makers are likely to survive.  Although many do not look at it from this point of view, it can be good for the economy.

Image via WikipediaIn keeping with the economy, many farmers are getting a second chance with organic foods.  Now, it is costly to run a farm.  In fact, that is why many farms are shutting down.  Although some farmers are choosing to give up their operations, others are choosing to make the switch to organic foods.  Although it does take a lot of hard work, determination, and a large investment to make the switch to organic, many farmers are finding big payoffs.  There are also many economists who believe that switching to growing organic foods is the only way that many farms, especially those that are small in size, will be able to survive.

As you can see, there are a number of ways that organic foods can impact the environment and the economy.  Fortunately, these ways are all positive in nature.  As a reminder, organic foods are also safe, healthy, and natural to eat.  What does this mean for you?  It means that there are a number of benefits to eating organically.  For that reason, if you are interested in making the switch to organic foods, you should go ahead and do so.

 

Related articles on Organic Food:

• Eating Organic Food is The Right Choice (socyberty.com)
• What Many People Don't Know About Organic Meats (socyberty.com)
• 10 Organic Foods That Are Worth the Money (lewrockwell.com)