Weekly tips to bring island-inspired wellness into your everyday life from the wellness and spa team at Rosalie Bay Resort, Dominica. Post written by Spa and Wellness Coordinator Laura Lund.
Last week we discussed the importance of eating and buying organic. Since organic may not always be available, this week we are helping you prioritize your organic produce shopping list.
The “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean Fifteen” lists, compiled by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), are helpful tools to guide your organic produce purchases. The EWG created the lists to help protect the public from pesticides after analyzing pesticide residue on popular produce. While the lists are based on data from produce found in the US, it is still applicable and helpful to other regions since it analyzed both domestic and imported produce.
“Dirty Dozen” + 2
The “Dirty Dozen” are popular produce items that have the most pesticide residue, even after washing.
- Apples
- Celery
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Grapes
- Hot peppers
- Nectarines – imported
- Peaches
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Sweet bell peppers
- Kale and collard greens
- Summer squash
“Clean 15”
The “Clean 15” is a list of produce least likely to test positive for pesticides.
- Asparagus
- Avocados
- Cabbage
- Cantaloupe
- Eggplant
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi
- Mangos
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Papayas
- Pineapples
- Sweet corn
- Sweet peas-frozen
- Sweet potatoes
These lists are only a guide to help you shop. However, if organic is not available, it is still better to eat produce from the “Dirty Dozen” list rather than avoiding fresh foods.
The more fresh produce you eat, preferably at least 5-10 servings per day, the less likely your chances of getting heart disease, cancer and many other diseases.