ORGANIC STRAWBERRIES!!!

The title warranted 3 exclamation marks because I was THAT excited when I found organic strawberries! As elusive as Yeti to me before the discovery, I couldn't find organic strawberries anywhere- not at farmers market nor grocery stores. I even tried to find them at fruit stands set up next to farms and still no success... until they showed up at my local grocery store 2 weeks ago!

From the Dirty Dozen list, strawberries are one of the fruits that are most heavily doused with pesticide. Organic strawberries generally cost more than conventionally grown ones, but for the sake of health, they're definitely worth the extra dollar. Aside from health reasons, organic strawberries actually taste like strawberries! After eating so many sour strawberry-lookalikes, my tastebuds have refused to taste anything but the organic ones because the flavor explosion is just so indescribable.

The 16 oz. box of delicious strawberries pictured sold for $2.99 at Trader Joe's. Pesticide-free strawberries are also available at some farmers markets which are a terrific alternative to certified organic ones.

Update: Dirty Dozen vs. Clean 15

Breaking news: The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has revised the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15! 
The new guide to pesticides is now available to download at foodnews.org in PDF. Tech-savvy folks, no need to fret; the app for this new guide is coming soon!

New to the Dirty Dozen are blueberries and potatoes while carrots and pears are no longer on the "most dirtied" list. As for the Clean 15, honeydew melons, cantaloupe, and grapefruits are the new comers. 

One thing to keep in mind is that the Clean 15 fruits and veggies may still have trace amounts of pesticides on their skins. While the EWG deem these the cleanest produce as far as chemicals are concerned, it is still worthwhile to support organic whenever possible. Organic agriculture is more sustainable for the environment and has less ecological impact for animals, plants, and the planet. Not to mention organic produce tastes so much better!  

In case, you're not familiar with the Dirty Dozen, click here to read about it and how it can affect your health.

Special thanks to my fellow nutrition guru Lindsey P. for letting me know about the update!

Natural Lucky Charms

Sugary cereals have been bashed and slammed for contributing to the obesity epidemic... along with sodas and most things from the snack isles. Without missing a beat, processed food companies raced to "healthify" their products. There are now baked chips, vitamin-infused sodas, and of course, natural cereals. While those companies are laughing their way to the bank from increased sales, all these new forms of processed food are really unfortunate conceptions for consumers.

When I first stumbled upon Marshmallow Oaties from Three Sisters Cereal, the green package design excited me. I thought it was going to be an eco-product that also boasts nutritional value. After all, the words "all natural sweetened", "whole grain", and "no phony flavors or colors" on the front sounded rather convincing. The excitement faded fast as I flipped to the nutritional facts on the back.

Comparing labels from Lucky Charms® and Marshmallow Oaties® reveal some astounding facts. The nutrition facts from the 2 products show that the cereals have virtually the same nutrients. 

Lucky Charms® costs $1.99 (when on sale) while Organic Marshmallow Oaties® costs about $3.40 (rarely on sale). Their sizes are comparable so the natural version will set me back an extra $1.40. I would be convinced that the Marshmallow Oaties® are worth the money if they did taste better than Lucky Charms®. Unfortunately, they are still overwhelming sweet and the marshmallows have the texture of rehydrated chalk. And sugar by any other name is still sugar. High fructose corn syrup, honey, molasses, dextrose, and the list goes on. Marshmallow Oaties® uses evaporated milled sugar but that surely isn't calorie-free.

The only justification to purchase these natural sugary cereal is their green packaging design. If it is for nutritional value, it would be a serious waste of money. What would be a better option? Buy rolled oats in bulk and add fresh fruit and honey to make some wholesome oatmeal.

Product Props: Avalon Organics Exfoliating Enzyme Scrub

To achieve clear, glowing skin, many of us layer on lotions and powders every day. Skin is the largest organ in the human body but is often abused by us unknowingly. Many of those lotions and powders are actually full of harmful chemicals and preservatives. Through false advertisements, we're led to believe those products are beneficial for our face and will help us erase years of damage and abuse.

My mother instilled a sense of fear for prematurely aged skin in me very early on. That fear drove me to believe that putting on expensive creams and lotions religiously will help me ward of wrinkles and sunspots. Well, it worked but came at a high cost as I became a slave to expensive department store lotions and eye creams. Finally, I got fed up with the crazy prices and the insane ingredients that are in those products. Just as I wouldn't pay $10 to buy a bag of potato chips, I realized I shouldn't spend $35 on a bottle of purely man-made chemicals that is suppose to go on my face.

After countless strolls through the body care sections at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Henry's Farmers Market, I finally found my face savior. Avalon Organics does have many top-notch products, but I'm most fond of the face scrub. It felt like WEEKS of dead skin cells were scrubbed away the first time I used it. The texture is a bit coarse but not abrasive. Natural ingredients like walnut powder and papaya enzymes loosen impurities with ease while lavender extract helps calm irritated skin. Plus the ingredients list on the tube contains a lot of "pronounce-able" words- a good sign for both edible and non-edible products.

Skin Deep is a great online resource of looking up harmful ingredients in facial products. If you haven't read the ingredients label on your favorite facial lotion, check it out. It might amaze you or make you run to the nearest dumpster to throw it away. 

Special thanks to my friend and colleague Mandy T. for introducing me to the Skin Deep!

Photo from avalonorganics.com

Exposing the Dirty Dozen

Let's face it: organic fruits and vegetables can be expensive. As much as I want support organic agriculture 100%, high prices often stand in the way. I'm guessing many of you are in the same boat as me. 

To help us decide which produce items are most worth purchasing organic for, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) published a list of 12 fruits and vegetables that are most dirtied by pesticides. They're collectively known as the Dirty Dozen.

While the nutrient content of non-organic versus organic produce is still hotly debated, the amount of pesticide ingestion from traditionally grown fruits and veggies is undeniable. Pesticides have been linked to hormone imbalances, cancers, nervous system disorders, and irritations of the eye, skin, and lungs. Pesticide ingestion is especially a problem for babies and young children. Because they're smaller in size, they can be affected by these chemicals in much smaller concentrations.

EWG conducted studies that showed avoiding the Dirty Dozen can reduce pesticide ingestion by almost 80%! Imported fruits and veggies can be particularly high in these chemicals because pesticide use isn't as firmly regulated in some countries as in the U.S.

It is true that washing and peeling helps get rid of pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables. But there is always going to be some left on the skins no matter how much washing, soaking, rinsing you do. Peeling can take care of the problem but not in all cases. I.e. peeling a strawberry would be ridiculous. Or peeling an apple since 80% of its fiber is in the skin! That's a lot of value (both nutrition and money) down the drain.

EWG offers a handy  pocket-sized printable guide AND an iPhone app that list the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15. Get yours by visiting foodnews.org.