Organic or Die Hard: The Dirty Dozen, the Clean Fifteen, and Your Health

IF Insider No. 74

In our last issue (IF Insider No. 73), we looked at how light sleepers can get the restorative rest you need that is so important for your health. For our premium subscribers, in this week’s Research Spotlight we are examining a recent study looking at the effectiveness of exercise, not on depression (which has been studied a lot) but on major life stressors.

Embracing the Night: A Light Sleeper's Guide to Restorative Rest

Our paid subscribers also get one of Ellen’s recipes each month. We recently featured Ellen’s Matcha Lemonade, a drink that is both healthful and beautiful. This time, we are going to explore how to use plant-based sausages to make a flavorful and delicious red sauce-infused pasta with Ellen’s Impossible Pasta recipe.

Looking for a supportive group that “gets” your interest in IF and other cutting-edge health information? Our free intermittent fasting Facebook group, with over 1800 members, is a wealth of info, in addition to our new Longevity Experience membership.

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Surviving the Dirty Dozen: How to Avoid Harmful Pesticides in Your Food

Photo by Natalia Mok on Unsplash

Today we’re taking on The Dirty Dozen...and no I don’t mean the 1967 film about the dozen convicted murderers assigned to a U.S. Army Major who trained and lead them on a perilous assassination mission against Nazi officers.  

These dirty dozen I’m talking about are not convicted murderers but they ARE out to harm you.

What am I talking about?

The dirty dozen is a list of the twelve foods that the Environmental Working Group puts out in it’s annual Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce and is based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Data Program annual report.

Before you panic, it’s worth noting that according to the report 99.5 percent of the samples tested had pesticide residues well below the Environmental Protection Agency’s established tolerances and about 22 percent had NO detectable residues.

Here is the 2023 list of the dozen produce items that contained the most residue:

strawberries, spinach, kale (as well as collards and mustard greens), peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, grapes, bell (and hot) peppers, cherries, blueberries, and green beans.

So what does this mean? Well ideally, if you are going to consume any of these fruits or vegetables you will purchase organically grown items. And yes, it’s more expensive to buy organic but as the demand for clean produce increases, more and more mainstream supermarkets are carrying these items for reasonable prices. Even mega-retailer Wal-Mart has gotten into the act, so don’t forget to check for organic produce there when shopping.

Here are some ways to reduce your and your family’s exposure to pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables...first of all, be sure to eat a wide variety of produce items so you reduce your potential exposure to a single pesticide. Wash thoroughly all produce even when it’s labeled organic and even if you plan to peel it.

Instead of soaking or dunking the produce, wash it under running water and dry the items with a paper towel or clean cloth before use. For firm vegetables and fruits such as root vegetables and melons, scrub them with a produce brush.

For cabbage and lettuce and other leafy vegetables, it’s wise to discard the outer leafy layer and for fruits and vegetables, you should peel them whenever possible.

So, is there an alternative list of clean fruits and vegetables...produce items that are the least likely to contain pesticide residues. Yes, there is! Turns out the Environmental Working Group publishes such a list every year, called The Clean Fifteen.

What are these 15 good produce items? I’ll let you in on the list in just a moment, but first let’s look at why you should wash your avocados, even though you are not going to consume the peel.

Avocados are one of America’s favorite foods...from guacamole dip to avocado toast, we consumed, according to a report from the US Department of Agriculture,  7.1 pounds of avocados per person in 2015 and 2016. This is more than double the consumption from ten years ago.

And on Superbowl Sunday, football fans chow down on 104.9 million pounds of avocados according to an estimate from the Hass Avocado Board. Holy guacamole batman, that’s a lot of avocados!

However, along with this increased enjoyment, The FDA recently released a report advising consumers to wash avocados thoroughly before use, scrubbing the skin with a produce brush, even though they are going to be peeled before eating. 

And this advice is not due to pesticide residues, it’s because the FDA found that nearly eighteen percent of avocados they tested were positive for the Listeria bacteria on the skin. Listeria exposure at low levels doesn’t cause major illness in most healthy adults, but infection in high-risk people, including pregnant women, the elderly and those with weak immune systems who are much more vulnerable can cause listeriosis which kills about 260 people every year in the United States.

Listeriosis symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, a loss of balance, fever, muscle aches, and even seizures. It’s particularly dangerous for pregnant women because of the increased chance of miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or even a life-threatening illness in the woman’s baby.

Generally, when you peel an avocado, most folks slice into it with a knife and it’s this action that can carry the bacteria present on the peel, deep into the flesh of the avocado. So scrub those avocados before making that batch of guacamole!

Ok let’s get to the 2023 Clean Fifteen: these are the produce items that are least likely to contain pesticide residues. They are:

avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, onions, papayas, sweet peas, asparagus, honeydew melons, kiwi fruit, cabbage, mushrooms, cantaloupe, mangoes, sweet potatoes, watermelon, and carrots.

But even though these are on the clean fifteen list, you should still clean them thoroughly by washing and or scrubbing them before eating.

Also, when you are shopping and you just don’t have the budget to make every produce item you purchase organic, don’t just say to heck with it, I can’t afford to feed my family organic produce. Instead, take these lists with you. Only buy organic if the item is on the Dirty Dozen list and purchase regular, conventionally grown items if they are on the Clean Fifteen list. This will help you to both conserve your money and reduce your and your family’s exposure to potentially harmful pesticide residues.

Why It Matters

“A fruit is a vegetable with looks and money. Plus, if you let fruit rot, it turns into wine, something Brussels sprouts never do.”

~ P.J. O’Rourke (1947-2022) was an American political satirist, as well as a respected journalist. He was known for his irreverent humor and co-wrote National Lampoon’s 1964 High School Yearbook. This was the inspiration for Animal House, which gained a near-cult following and launched John Belushi on his career.

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What We Are Watching 📺

Denise - A film for me this week… I attended a screening of the recently released documentary, Wild Life.

“Wild Life is a sweeping portrait of conservationists Kris and Doug Tompkins chronicling their fight to preserve one of the last truly wild places on earth.”

I knew bits of the stories and this put their legacy and contribution to the planet altogether. The photography of Patagonia is spectacular. Kris Tompkins was there for a Q&A afterward. Her commitment and passion are an inspiration. 👍🏻👍🏻

Ellen - My choice for this issue isn’t a book, but a video. And no, it’s not a TEDx talk either, but a song. This is the X Factor Romania audition of a remarkable performer named Nick Casciaro, an Italian singer who tried out for Season 10 (2021). All the more remarkable because, although Nick’s native language is Italian, he tried out in the country Romania, and performed the song in English.

The song Nick chose, Tom Walker’s breakthrough single, Leave A Light On, is based on a friend of the songwriter who was struggling with drug addiction. The lyrics explain that if the friend has lost his way, he will “leave a light on” for him:

If you look into the distance, there's a house up on the hill
Guidin' like a lighthouse
To a place where you'll be safe to feel our grace
'Cause we've all made mistakes
If you've lost your way…

The song has a broader meaning as well and speaks to anyone of us who has ever struggled with some form of addiction, whether that be food, sugar, alcohol, or anything else.

The power and emotional intensity Nick brings to this song are simply remarkable. I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I did. (And BTW, Nick won Season 10 of the X Factor Romania!)

Did you like this article and learn something new? If so, please let us know in the comments! Questions and suggestions for future articles are welcome, too!

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