Annual Dirty Dozen List

The Environmental Working Group has again published its lists of the U.S.-available non-organic produce with the most pesticide residue (Dirty Dozen) and with minimal pesticide residue (Clean Fifteen).

They report that 2/3 of the produce samples in recent government tests had pesticide residues. In light of research into pesticides and the brain - not a good combination - it's worth the effort to find food grown organically, especially if you're buying the produce listed below in the Dirty Dozen.

Organic produce has no pesticide residue because it is grown without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

I'd like to point out that they're measuring pesticide residue on the parts of the plant we eat, not the amount of pesticides applied to the plant as it grows in the ground. All pesticides are harmful to the eco-systems of the earth. That doesn't mean they should never be used, but that farmers should use them as a last resort; just like we should take care of our own intestinal flora and not poison it with antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. We keep our immune systems strong so our bodies can ward off viruses. Keeping the soil microbially healthy helps the plants we eat grow strong and vigorous.

I emphasize, however, that it is always better to eat fresh fruit and vegetables - organic or non-organic -  than fast food or prepared food, or anything containing additives, preservatives or flavorings. Human bodies prefer food to chemicals.

Dirty Dozen: (don't eat unless organic)
apples
strawberries
grapes
celery
peaches
sweet bell peppers
imported nectarines
cucumbers
cherry tomatoes
imported snap peas
potatoes
hot peppers
kale and collard greens

Clean Fifteen: (minimal pesticide residue if non-organic)
avocados
sweet corn (although it could be genetically modified)
pineapples
cabbage
frozen peas
onions
asparagus
mangoes
papayas
kiwi
eggplant
grapefruit
cantaloupe
cauliflower
sweet potatoes

Get the handy shopping guide from EWG, and donate money to support their excellent work, at their website.

Winter Squash

I've been writing a lot recently about winter squash because that's what is coming in to the farmers' market. I always buy organic squash, even for decorative purposes. The picture at right is my Thanksgiving centerpiece. After the holiday we will eat the squash over the next few weeks.

I just learned a disturbing thing, however.

It turns out that American farmers are growing (non-organic) winter squash as a remedial crop in contaminated soils. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are effectively pulled out of the soil by winter squash plants. These are contaminating chemicals, and farmers are consciously planting the winter squash to pull them out of the soil so their soil becomes healthier. This is to be lauded. But I'm not sure I want to be eating squash with PAHs in it.

Do these chemicals get into the winter squash we eat? Into the butternut squash soup we buy at the store? That hasn't been studied. But I can't imagine the leaves and roots and stems of the plant absorb the PAHs and not the fruits.

The only way to know for sure you do not have PAHs in your squash is to buy organic squash, and products made with organic squash.

For me the only difficulty this presents is deciding which of the beautiful organic heirloom squash to buy.

Organic corn

Finley Farms had organic corn on the cob on Sunday - the first of the season. We grabbed some to eat for dinner that night, boiled and served with butter and a little salt and pepper. Yum.

I only buy organic corn. Non-organic corn (or no-spray corn) can be grown from genetically-modified corn kernels. I don't know what genetic-modification will do to my body or to the earth, but I don't trust it. Also, I don't want to give a dime to the multi-nationals who create gmos.

Eating only organic corn means most of the year we eat it frozen. And then for a couple of months we enjoy it fresh off the cob.

Shoppers often rip open the top of ears of corn to check for complete ears and insect damage. I don't bother. I figure most organic corn has insect damage - because it's not sprayed with poisons that kill insects. And the kernels might be a little erratic from faulty pollination - because it's grown in a field not devised in a factory. I prefer my food to look real.

Which is a good thing, because we brought a caterpillar home with the corn. You can just see it hiding in its little hole in the front cob on the left.

It's a harmless little thing, as long as it's not eating my corn. I threw it over the fence to the neighbor's chickens. You can also just put it in the trash or kill it and add it to the compost.

You can see the top ends of the corn where the silk tassels emerge looked pretty unsightly. It's caterpillar damage. Not harmful. I just cut the end off the cobs and serve the beauties you see below.
In fact, until I showed Larry these pictures, he did not know that the corn we brought home had a little editing done before I served it to him, delicious and sweet and beautiful.

So remember, organic corn can be ugly. But cut off the ugly part and you have something truly delicious, and you can feel good about where your food dollar is going.

How clean is clean?

The Los Angeles Times ran an article yesterday about the cleanliness of the bags of pre-washed greens one buys at the supermarket.

Even though the greens are triple-washed, it does not mean they aren't contaminated with bacteria. Because the washing is done in such large batches, a small amount of bacteria-infected greens added to the mix can contaminate many bags of greens. The bacteria they're most worried about is e-coli, which comes from animal manure.

I don't buy pre-packaged greens, because I prefer to shop at the farmers market. I'm also growing lettuce and other greens in our garden. On the rare occasions that I do buy the bagged stuff, I rinse it in cold water before serving. There is debate as to whether water will wash off the bacteria, but it makes me feel better.

The companies that wash greens are investigating various chemicals to add to the washes to ensure that no bacteria remains. I think this is going about it in the wrong way.

Our body's main defense against bacteria and pathogens in our food is the acid in our stomach. When working optimally, it breaks down and destroys the protein shell of microbes, rendering them harmless. And the good bacteria in our intestines should take care of any residue. So keeping a healthy digestive system is really important.

The public health problem with the spread of bacteria on bagged greens comes because the farming and washing is done on such a large scale that it can harm many people.

I buy my lettuce and greens from local farmers who eat the produce they sell, and who feed it to their own children. I know they are practicing healthy farming techniques, and I trust them to provide me with safe food.

Smaller is better.

Good news on franken-foods

I can't believe we humans are still considering genetically-modified organisms as a food source.

But the Big Agra lobby is very big, and puts a lot of pressure on money-grubbing politicians to do the wrong thing. (What can you expect with a political system where millions of dollars are needed to run a campaign? But I digress.)

Larry wrote about the pervasiveness of Big Agra after watching Food Inc. last March.

(In the US, the only way to be sure of not eating gmos - genetically modified organisms - is to buy organic or to check for a label like the one in the picture above on a bottle of canola oil. Or on the bag of soy flour lower left. Canola, soy and corn are the most genetically-modified foods, so always read labels for them.)

However, I have good news. In July, genetically-modified food took a large step backwards when the US refrained from opposing the gmo labelling guidance document in the Codex. Now any country who wants to require genetically-modified foods to be labelled as such is free to do so.

(The Codex alimentarius is a project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. They are codifying worldwide food practices. I first heard of them 20 years ago when they were attacking the vendors of herbs like echinacea, saying their products were not patented like drugs are, and therefore were less effective. Say the word Codex in parts of Canada and to various natural health practitioners and they will growl at you.)

But since the Codex will govern most of the world food production, a line in it saying countries can demand that genetically-modified organisms be labelled as such is a great step forward.

Note that the US did not vote for this excellent rule. They abstained from fighting it. Big Agra (I'm talking about you Monsanto and perennial NPR supporter Archer Daniels Midland) can live to fight another day.

The only way you can be sure the food you eat is not genetically modified is to buy organic. For a non-gmo shoppers guide, click here.

For more information on the Codex deal, click here.

Why do I care about genetic modificiation? As a vegetarian, I don't want to eat fish genes in my tomatoes (yes, they've tried that). Plus, nature has been doing great for thousands of years without us. The only benefits I can see of genetic engineering is it makes square tomatoes which ship more easily and it creates corn that is not killed by Roundup so farmers can spray more pesticides on my food.

With my food dollars I vote no on gmo. I hope you do too.

Red Peppers

I rarely eat red peppers in July. Local ones don't show up at the market until August, and I prefer to eat locally-grown produce.

But last week our local independent supermarket had organic red peppers imported from Mexico, and I picked up a packet. I like to support local business, but since I won't buy non-organic or processed food, my choices are often limited. This local store, however, is doing its best to cater to people like me as well as to normal people.

I took the peppers home, and because they were imported I washed them more thoroughly than I do the produce I buy from local farmers.

My local farmers eat the food they grow. If it were bacterially compromised, they would suffer the same effects I would. So they're careful with their food.

Produce shipped long distances and stored in large warehouses along the way has very little accountability - that's where the problems come in, I think. Give me small farms and local farmers any day.

Except, I wanted to support my local independent grocery store.

The peppers were organic, so I was not worried about systemic pesticides. I washed the outsides with dishwashing liquid. I use Planet, a coconut-based cleaner. (Did you know most dishwashing liquids are made from petroleum? Kind of weirds me out to be putting a fork in my mouth after it's been washed in petroleum.)

The dishwashing liquid is a good veggie wash for external pesticide residue, but I was most concerned with the dust of the road and the germs of the many hands that had touched my well-travelled peppers.

Satisfied they were clean, I cooked them up for my grilled vegetable salad. They were excellent. And I was happy to have supported my local independent grocery store, as well as the organic farmers in Mexico whose workers are not being poisoned by the chemicals used in conventional agriculture.

Reducing pesticide exposure

I make a point of eating organically-grown food because it is better for me, the farmworkers and the planet.

However, I realize not everyone is fortunate enough to have a great farmers market nearby, or a family who is willing to eat seasonally.

Since it is always better to eat non-organic produce than to avoid fruits and vegetables, I present here a list of produce which is safe to eat even if not organic.

The list is compiled by the Environmental Working Group, which tests fresh U.S.-grown produce for levels of pesticide residue.

You can find their full report here. They mention that if you choose your daily 5 servings of vegetables from the Clean Fifteen list instead of the Dirty Dozen, you will reduce your pesticide intake by 92 per cent. That's worth doing.

New on the toxic list from last year: spinach, blueberries, potatoes and collard greens. Make sure to find those in the organic section of your supermarket. Grapefruit, mushrooms and cantaloupe are new on the safe to eat even if conventionally-grown list.

Dirty Dozen - eat only if organic
apples
celery
strawberries
peaches
spinach
nectarines - imported
grapes - imported
bell peppers
potatoes
blueberries
lettuce
kale / collard greens


Clean Fifteen - safe to eat even if not organic
onions
sweet corn
pineapples
avocado
asparagus
peas
mangoes
eggplant
cantaloupe
kiwi
cabbage
watermelon
sweet potatoes
grapefruit
mushrooms

Agricultural Chemicals in Drinking Water

There has been a rash of stories recently about agricultural chemicals getting in the drinking water of farming communities.

More than 1 million Californians live in places where the tap water is not reliably safe to drink.

And I'm not talking chlorine or fluoride, chemicals intentionally added to municipal water supplies. No, the dangers are the chemicals that seep into the groundwater from chemical applications in the fields and orchards.

I'm glad people are realizing that what you spray on plants and soil will end up in the water supply. Now we need to crack down on the types of chemicals that are sprayed in this way (including lawn-care chemicals and garden pesticides).

We consumers have an impact by buying organic produce. Also organic cotton, because cotton is the most heavily pesticided crop in America. Better yet, wear hemp, which requires no chemicals to flourish.

On Fresh Air the other night, Terry Gross interviewed oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee who has just written a book called The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. The highlight for me was near the end of the interview when he mentioned the role chemicals play in causing cancer. He said that all chemicals, not just newly-introduced ones, need to be re-examined solely and in combination, and those that cause cancer should be banned or restricted.

Wouldn't that be great?

While they're doing the testing, they could look at the effects chemicals have on hormones too, and look at which ones are poisonous to humans. Even better, science might find ways to achieve the same beneficial results without harmful chemicals.

I keep hoping.

Good News on Monsanto

I've written before that I don't want to give a dime to Monsanto and their genetically-modified Franken-foods.

Well, it seems I'm not alone.

The NY Times reported on October 4th that it's not just earth-friendly people like me who don't like Monsanto. Some of their seeds are not living up to the hype, and farmers and investors are losing patience.

One of the problems is that weeds have grown resistant to Round-Up, Monsanto's widely-used herbicide. Monsanto genetically modifies their seeds to be resistant to Round-Up, so farmers can spray the chemical on their fields to kill weeds without damaging their crops.

(Let's ignore the fact that Round-Up, brand name for glyphosate, is among the top reported pesticides causing poisoning in many countries. The range of acute symptoms includes recurrent eczema, respiratory problems, elevated blood pressure and allergic reactions, according to Friends of the Earth.)

Now that the weeds are resistant to Round-Up, the farmers have to spend money on other weed-killers. And worry that the chemicals will damage their crops.

(I recommend they find non-chemical ways to weed - machinery, hoes - but then I'm an organic girl at heart.)

Another problem is that Monsanto's genetically-modified (gmo) seeds aren't producing as much as the company thought they would. Monsanto makes deals with farmers that because their seeds will produce more than regular seed, the farmers will give 1/3 of their extra profit back to Monsanto. With their newest most genetically-modified seeds, Monsanto is wanting a 50-50 split with farmers. But the seeds are not producing, so farmers are requesting the less-gmo seeds and are giving less money back to Monsanto.

Now Monsanto stock prices are dropping. Last week, t.v. stock promoter Jim Cramer said that Monsanto might be the worst stock of 2010.

I would be rejoicing, but the bad news is that Dupont's gmo company, Pioneer Hi-Bred, is gaining market share as Monsanto loses theirs.

It seems that there is still too much emphasis on chemicals and genetic modification in the farming community.

I have hopes this will change.

By the way, corn and soy are the two major genetically-modified crops. Don't buy either (any product with soy protein isolate or other soy derivatives, or corn in any form including high-fructose corn syrup) unless it says organic right next to the ingredient. Otherwise put the product back on the shelf.

And keep the faith -- nature will always win out.

Fresh Corn on the Cob

Corn on the cob is the epitome of summer. But I didn't eat it for years because I could not find it organically-grown.

I'll buy a lot of produce from no-spray farmers, but not corn. No-spray farmers commit to not using chemicals on their plants, but they can start with non-organic seed. Organic farmers must use organic seed, and I want corn that is grown from organic seed, not genetically-modified seed. I don't want to put one dime into Monsanto's pocket. Apart from the disturbing health effects, there's something wrong with eating seeds that have been genetically modified to be all alike.

(Democracy Now reported in Jan. 2010 that a study in the International Journal of Biological Sciences found that Monsanto's genetically-modified corn helped cause organ damage in rats. The study’s author called Monsanto’s GM methods "a very serious mistake, dramatic for public health.")

My mother told me recently about a series on CBC radio by David Suzuki called The Bottom Line. The episode that got her attention included an interview with a seed-saver in India. Vandana Shiva said there used to be more than 300 varieties of rice. Different seeds grew in different conditions. One even grew in salt water. After the 2004 tsunami, a lot of land was salinated, and the genetically-modified rice could not grow in it. However, this seed-saving eco-activist sent the farmers rice seeds that thrive in the salty soil. Feeding the hungry: science can't do it, nature can.

That's why I only eat organic corn on the cob. I believe in diversity in all its forms. Organic has it. GMOs don't.

Last week Finley Farms at the Hollywood Farmers Market had organic corn. I bought six ears and we have relished them. Later I'll use fresh corn in cooked dishes like risotto and bean stews, but the first ears are saved for pure corn-on-the-cob enjoyment. Boiled for seven minutes, they don't even need butter, salt or pepper.

This weekend, if Larry lights the barbecue, I'll peel back the husks to rip out the silks, layer the husks back on the kernels and tie them with string, then soak them for 20 minutes or so while he's heating the coals. Then he'll cook them in their husks over the coals (about 20 minutes) for an even more intense fresh corn flavor.

But only if Finley Farms has more of that great organic corn.

The benefits of cabbages

The cabbage family (cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, broccoli, red and green cabbage, etc.) are important foods in these days of hormone-altering pollutants.

Cabbages contain a chemical that helps our bodies process estrogen in healthy ways. (It's called dim - diindolylmethane - you might be taking it in supplement form.)

It's not only women who need be concerned about the estrogen in their bodies. Many plastics contain estrogen-mimicking chemicals. The World Wildlife Fund did studies 20 years ago that found that there were so many synthetic estrogens in the environment that male animals (crocodiles in Florida, fish in the Great Lakes) were being born with both male and female characteristics, presumably caused by the hormone-disrupting pollutants in the water they lived in.

Hormone-disruptors (found in plastics, pharmaceuticals, and chemical pesticides and fertilizers among other places) are chemicals that change the way hormones work in the body. Small amounts have adverse affects. The challenge is that we don't yet know the long-term effects. We can see, however, that hormone-induced cancers are on the rise.

This is where the cabbage family comes in.

To put it simply, estrogen (along with the synthetic estrogens from plastics and pharmaceuticals and the phyto-estrogens from soy) can promote bone density, youthful skin, heart health and more. Or it can metabolize in ways that lead to cancer.

Eating cabbages helps it be used for good.

Kind of amazing, eh?

To learn more about the benefits of cabbages, click here.

I'm sharing the following recipe for Cauliflower Curry because I think cauliflower too often gets overlooked as a bland vegetable to be draped in cheese sauce. Yet it goes really well with coconut milk (also full of health-promoting properties). The tumeric turns it an eye-catching yellow, and is a potent anti-inflammatory.

If you like a mild curry, use one serrano pepper. If you don't like tofu, omit it and cut back the coconut milk to one cup (store the remainder in the freezer until you need it).

Make sure your spices are fragrant. Ideally, buy the cumin and coriander whole and grind them in a spice grinder.

Serve the curry over brown rice, maybe with some greens on the side for a stunning color contrast. It will be a vibrant and healthy meal. And you won't look at cauliflower in the same way again.

Cauliflower Curry
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch piece fresh gingerroot, finely chopped or grated
3 serrano peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp black or yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 small cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets (about 3/4 lb after trimming)
1 cup coconut milk
1 lb firm tofu, diced 3/4 inch thick
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut in 1/2 inch chunks
1 tbsp lemon juice, optional

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and when it's hot add the onion and cook 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Stir in garlic, ginger and serranos and cook 2 minutes more. Add coriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, mustard seeds and salt. Stir until very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add cauliflower and toss to cover with the spices. Add coconut milk, reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add tofu and zucchini and simmer, covered, until the cauliflower is tender, about 5 more minutes. Squirt in lemon juice at the end, if desired.

Serves 4.

Toxic Fish

When I taught Environmental Health at NHC Institute in Montreal in the mid-90s, I used a comic postcard to show how toxins concentrate in animal proteins.

In the first panel were little fish, each with a toxic symbol in its belly indicating a low-level of toxicity. When a bigger fish ate a few small fish, all their toxic symbols showed up in its body. When it was eaten by a yet bigger fish, all those toxic symbols were passed on. Finally a man eating a fish dinner exploded from the concentrated toxins in one piece of fish.

The oceans have become even more dangerous since I taught that course. In addition to man-made pollutants, the warming of the oceans is causing tropical toxins to move north and infect new fish.

There was a story in the New York Times Magazine recently about a man who got ciguatera poisoning from eating barracuda in the Caribbean. An organism growing on tropical reef algae produces a toxin. As in the cartoon I showed my class, this fat-stored toxin grows more concentrated as it moves up the food chain from the algae-eating fish to the predators like shark and barracuda. When humans eat the big fish, they get ciguatera poisoning, a non-lethal but debilitating illness that can take months to recover from.

As a vegetarian, I am like the little fish who eats low down on the food chain. I probably have the equivalent of one toxic symbol in my body -- not as many as the man whose head exploded.

If you eat seafood, stick to the smaller fish, not the large predators.

And consider the consequences of your food choices on the health of the oceans. Seafood Watch, run by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, explains which fish are sustainable and safe to eat, and describes fishing practices and fish migration routes. There's an iPhone app so you can carry the info to the store or restaurant with you.

Their Super Green list names ocean-friendly fish with low levels of mercury contamination and high levels of omega 3s.

When you consume fish, eat lots of liver-supporting greens, and take a moment to thank the oceans for providing you nourishment despite the devastating impact of humans.

Pesticide pollution

Fifteen midwestern towns and cities are suing a weedkiller manufacturer over drinking water contamination.

The weedkiller, Atrazine, is a hormone-disruptor. Studies show that it can turn male frogs into females.

It has been banned in Europe, but about 80 million pounds are used in the U.S. each year, mainly in cornfields, according to a report on Democracy Now.

The lawsuit was filed by towns and cities in the cornbelt states of Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, and Iowa. They are concerned that the run-off from the cornfields will have harmful long-term effects on residents.

Last week I posted a list of fruit and vegetables that Environmental Working Group has found to be safe to consume even if not organic. These items might be safe to eat, but they are not good for the earth.

Eating organic is not just about keeping our bodies healthy. It’s also about keeping our communities healthy. The chemical pesticides and fertilizers used on non-organic crops get into the groundwater. They move through the ecosystem, doing damage like distorting the sexual characteristics of wildlife, or killing honeybees and other beneficial insects.

I wonder what long-term effect they have on the farmworkers who apply the chemicals and then harvest the produce. (Don't forget, we've only been using chemical fertilizers and pesticides since chemical weapons were banned after World War I. The weapons manufacturers needed to find other uses for their poisons, so chemical warfare in the vegetable patch began.)

This is another reason I eat organic. I don’t want to be responsible for any of these chemicals harming people or the earth.