2011 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce – Find Out Which Produce to buy Organic
17 Jun 2011 2 Comments
in Baby & Child Health, food inc., Green Living, organic food Tags: clean 15, dirty dozen, Environmental Working Group, Pesticide, Pesticide residue, safe produce no organic, what fruits to buy organic
Fresh off the press, this updated list was just published this week. Here is the skinny on what produce you need to buy organic due to a very high pesticide count.
This information is especially important for children and expectant mommies and those that are ill. High levels of pesticide consumption have been linked to many complications and nervous defects including disorders like ADHD.
The Dirty Dozen™
Of the 12 most contaminated foods, 6 are fruits: apples, strawberries, peaches, domestic nectarines, imported grapes and domestic blueberries. Notable findings:
- Every sample of imported nectarines tested positive for pesticides, followed by apples (97.8 percent) and imported plums (97.2 percent).
- 92 percent of apples contained 2 or more pesticide residues‚ followed by imported nectarines (90.8 percent) and peaches (85.6 percent).
- Imported grapes had 14 pesticides detected on a single sample. Strawberries, domestic grapes both had 13 different pesticides detected on a single sample.
- As a category. peaches have been treated with more pesticides than any other produce, registering combinations of up to 57 different chemicals. Apples were next, with 56 pesticides and raspberries with 51.
Celery, spinach, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, lettuce and greens (kale and collards) are the vegetables most likely to retain pesticide contamination:
- Some 96 percent all celery samples tested positive for pesticides, followed by cilantro (92.9 percent) and potatoes (91.4 percent).
- Nearly 90 percent of celery samples contained multiple pesticides, followed by cilantro (70.1 percent) and sweet bell peppers (69.4 percent).
- A single celery sample was contaminated with 13 different chemicals, followed by a single sample of sweet bell peppers (11), and greens (10).
- Hot peppers had been treated with as many as 97 pesticides, followed by cucumbers (68) and greens (66).
The Clean Fifteen™
The vegetables least likely to test positive for pesticides are onions, sweet corn, asparagus, sweet peas, eggplant, cabbage, sweet potatoes and mushrooms.
- Asparagus, sweet corn and onions had no detectable pesticide residues on 90 percent or more of samples.
- More than four-fifths of cabbage samples (81.8 percent) had no detectible pesticides, followed by sweet peas (77.1 percent) and eggplant (75.4 percent).
- Multiple pesticide residues are extremely rare on vegetables low in overall contamination. No samples of onions and corn had more than one pesticide. Less than 6 percent of sweet potato samples had multiple pesticides.
- Of the low-pesticide vegetables, no single sample had more than 5 different chemicals.
The fruits least likely to test positive for pesticide residues are pineapples, avocados, mangoes, domestic cantaloupe, kiwi, watermelon and grapefruit.
- Fewer than 10 percent of pineapple, mango, and avocado samples showed detectable pesticides, and fewer than one percent of samples had more than one pesticide residue.
- Nearly 55 percent of grapefruit had detectable pesticides but only 17.5 percent of samples contained more than one residue. Watermelon had residues on 28.1 percent of samples, and 9.6 percent had multiple pesticide residues.
Methodology
The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides ranks pesticide contamination for 53 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of 51,000 tests for pesticides on these foods, conducted from 2000 to 2009 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the federal Food and Drug Administration. Nearly all the studies on which the guide is based tested produce after it had been rinsed or peeled.
Contamination was measured in 6 different ways:
- Percent of samples tested with detectable pesticides
- Percent of samples with two or more pesticides
- Average number of pesticides found on a single sample
- Average amount (level in parts per million) of all pesticides found
- Maximum number of pesticides found on a single sample
- Total number of pesticides found on the commodity
For each metric, we ranked all of the foods based on their individual USDA test results, then normalized the scores on a 1-100 scale (with 100 being the highest). To get a commodity’s final score, we added up the six normalized scores from each metric. The full Shopper’s Guide list shows the fruits and vegetables in order of these final scores.
The goal is to include a range of different measures of pesticide contamination to account for uncertainties in the science. All categories were treated equally; for example, a pesticide linked to cancer is counted the same as a pesticide linked to brain and nervous system toxicity, and the likelihood of eating multiple pesticides on a single food is given the same weight as the amounts of the pesticide detected or the percent of the crop on which pesticides were found.
The EWG’s Shopper’s Guide is not built on a complex assessment of pesticide risks but instead reflects the overall pesticide loads of common fruits and vegetables. This approach best captures the uncertainties of the risks of pesticide exposure and gives shoppers confidence that when they follow the guide they are buying foods with consistently lower overall levels of pesticide contamination.
Sources:
2011 Top-rated Safe Non Toxic Sunscreens for Broad Spectrum Protection
14 Jun 2011 2 Comments
in Baby & Child Health, Beauty and Skin Care, Green Living Tags: American Academy of Dermatology, Environmental Working Group, non toxic sun screens, safe baby sunscreen, safe sunscreens, Sunburn, sunscreen
Summer is here and the sun is waiting for us. With so much talk on sun safety, vitamin D and skin cancer I wanted to give you some safe options on protecting your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. There is a great review of sunscreen products done by the EWG - Environmental Working Group for 2011. You can see their list of top rated sun protection products below. They have rated the toxicity of each product by placing a number to identify product safety. So a product rated 8 is one you would want to avoid where as a product rated 2 is a better choice.
Oh and if your interested in a previous article I wrote on the best Vitamin D supplements and sun exposure click here: Vitamin D3 your Neighborhood Superhero « La Chica Organica
The best sunscreen is a hat and a shirt. No chemicals to absorb through the skin, no questions about whether they work. But when you can’t get away from exposing your skin to the sun, use EWG’s top-rated sunscreens to provide broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB-sunburn) protection with fewer hazardous chemicals that penetrate the skin. Sunscreen makers are awaiting FDA approval for a wider selection of UVA-blocking chemicals. In the meantime, all top-rated products contain either zinc or titanium minerals to help cut UVA exposures for sunscreen users.
Sunscreens prevent sunburns, but beyond that simple fact surprisingly little is known about the safety and efficacy of these ubiquitous creams and sprays. FDA’s failure to finalize its 1978 sunscreen safety standards both epitomizes and perpetuates this state of confusion. EWG’s review of the latest research unearthed troubling facts that might tempt you to give up on sunscreens altogether. That’s not the right answer – despite the unknowns about their efficacy, public health agencies still recommend using sunscreens, just not as your first line of defense against the sun. At EWG we use sunscreens, but we look for shade, wear protective clothing and avoid the noontime sun before we smear on the cream.
The 134 best beach & sport sunscreens for 2011 are:
(Products sorted alphabetically.)
See all beach & sport sunscreens »
Sources
skin Deep Database
EWG
Cancer in a Bottle – Learn to Read Labels and Avoid these Toxic Chemicals
29 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Baby & Child Health, Beauty and Skin Care, cancer, Green Living Tags: DMDM hydantoin, Environmental Working Group, health, Personal care, Sodium laureth sulfate
Know the ingredients in your personal care products. A fantastic Guide by EWG (Environmental Working Group)
Better products are truthful in their marketing claims and free of potentially worrisome ingredients. Some products might make claims like “gentle” or “natural,” but since the government does not require safety testing, personal care product manufacturers can use almost any chemical they want, regardless of risks.
How to read a label
Every personal care product must list its ingredients. Here’s how to navigate the label:
- Start at the end, with preservatives. Avoid:
- Words ending in “paraben”
- DMDM hydantoin
- Imidazolidinyl urea
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone
- Methylisothiazolinone
- Triclosan
- Triclocarban
- Triethanolamine (or “TEA”)
- Check the beginning of the ingredients lists, where soaps, surfactants, and lubricants show up. Try to avoid ingredients that start with “PEG” or have an “-eth” in the middle (e.g., sodium laureth sulfate).
- Read the ingredients in the middle. Look for these words: “FRAGRANCE,” “FD&C,” or “D&C.”
For grown-ups
Many parents pay more attention to their kids’ environmental health than their own, but adult bodies can be affected by toxic chemicals, too. EWG’s Safer Shopping List has nine common-sense tips to reduce everyone’s exposures. For instance, buy fragrance-free, skip the nail polish and use fewer products.
Just for kids
Extra caution is in order for kids because, pound for pound, they are exposed to more contaminants in everyday products than adults. Their immature metabolism and organ systems are typically less capable of fending off chemical assaults. Even subtle damage to young bodies can lead to disease later in life.
Follow EWG’s top five tips for kids:
- Use fewer products and use them less often.
- Don’t trust ad hype. Check ingredients.
- Buy fragrance-free products.
- Avoid the use of baby powder.
- Always avoid EWG’s top six chemicals of concern for kids:
- 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3 Diol
- BHA
- Boric acid and sodium borate
- DMDM Hydantoin
- Oxybenzone
- Triclosan
LEARN MORE about our Healthy Home Tip series.
Source http://www.ewg.org/
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Do This Now & Protect Your Body from Toxic Chemicals
18 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
in Allergies and Asthma, Baby & Child Health, Beauty and Skin Care, cancer, Green Living, Preggo Mama, Toxic Food Ingredients/Additives Tags: Environmental Working Group, health, organic food, Personal care, toxic baby wash
It’s a terrible fact that we live in a world were pesticides are sprayed freely over all our lawns, crops and plants. 
Our children are exposed to thousands of these chemicals just by playing on grass that has been treated with pesticides. Even babies in the womb are exposed to these deadly chemicals and are born with weakened immune systems because of them.
Your bathroom is no safer. If you are a normal person you probably use about 20 different products a week, the number gets higher with women. In most cases those products are loaded with cancer causing chemicals, endocrine disruptors and neuro-toxins. Most baby shampoos are anything but safe for a baby. We know this because of the lawsuits in previous years against Johnson and Johnson for putting known carcinogens in their products. Its terrible to think that we can be exposing our most precious gifts to these nasty chemicals. So don’t sleep on this people. Your children are a gift and they only have you as a parent to take care of them!
And if you’re a guy or a gal that uses cologne/perfume, you’re also exposing your body to harmful substances, and almost all of the chemicals used in these fragrant sprayable poisons have not been assessed for safety.
So what’s a person to do with all this? How do you keep your family safe from all the chemicals and junk floating in the air and placed inside most commercial products?
You only have to do 2 things.
The first thing is to visit one of my favorite websites made possible by the Environmental Working Group. It’s called “Skin Deep Cosmetic Database”, it’s a fantastic safety guide to thousands of cosmetics and personal care products that men, women and children use every single day.
If you ever need it in the future I always keep a link to this site on the lower right hand side of this page. Remember to protect yourself and your family from the harmful disruption toxic chemicals pose on our bodies; by avoiding them and by making wiser choices when you go shopping, and if you ever need help just post a comment and I will be glad to get back to you.
The second thing you can do to protect yourself and your family from toxic chemicals in food and cosmetics is to follow10 suggestions below provided by Mike Adams over at Natural News.
#1) Don’t put anything on your skin you wouldn’t eat! (La Chica Organica’s comments -This is something I believe in 100%. Everything I teach people to make and those things that I make myself are all with one thought in mind: If I can’t use them on my baby and on all the family then it’s not good for anyone else. To check out some of my organic creations just email me at LaChicaOrganica@gmail.com and I can send you our latest winter catalog.) Avoid all mainstream consumer skin care, cosmetics and personal care products, period! Need soap? Try natural, organic brands like Dr Bronner’s, AnnMarie Gianni or Pangea Organics.
#2) Don’t eat foods made with chemicals you can’t pronounce. Read the ingredients labels. If the list of ingredients is too long and complex to figure out, it’s probably made more with chemicals than actual food.
#3) Don’t poison your body with over-the-counter drugs or prescription pharmaceuticals. If you do need to use medication for short-term emergency use, be sure to detoxify your liver afterwards.
#4) Detox your liver, kidneys and colon at least once a year. You can do this with a juice fast combined with detox supplements such as those offered by www.GlobalHealingCenter.com or www.BaselineNutritionals.com (get professional guidance from a naturopath before fasting).
#5) Drink more water. Most people simply don’t consume enough water to effectively remove toxins from their bodies. If you don’t like water by itself, drink fresh vegetable juices such as celery or cucumber juice (which are actually structured water).
#6) Cleanse your body with parsley, alfalfa, red clover, chlorella or chlorophyll. All these substances can help cleanse your body and eliminate toxic substances that may be detrimental to your health. (La Chica Organica’s comments – We do this by adding alfalfa, parsley and other detoxifying herbs into our daily fruit and vegetable smoothies.)
#7) Don’t fill your home or apartment with products that off-gas toxic chemicals: Air fresheners, perfumed candles, particle board furniture, carpets, glues, etc.
#8) Don’t cook on non-stick cookware. These are the worst! Invest in quality copper-clad stainless steel pans and use those. They’ll last a lifetime and they don’t contaminate your body with chemicals. Don’t eat at restaurants that use non-stick cookware. (That’s just about every restaurant in the world, it seems…)
#9) Buy certified organic products. In the USA, the USDA Organic Seal is a trusted seal that genuinely indicates organic quality (both in foods and personal care products). Don’t be fooled by brand names that use the word “organics” in their name but aren’t really organic. For example, “Bob’s Organics” may or may not actually be organic. The Organic Consumers Association (www.OrganicConsumers.org) can keep you posted on what’s what. (La Chica Organica’s comments – If you are ineterestred in finding out what the numbers mean that are placed on all fruits and vegetables in that tiny sticker, then click here. This is a quick and easy way to find out if your produce is Organic, genetically modified etc…)
#10) Get the cancer out of your laundry! Stop washing your clothes in toxic brand-name laundry detergents, and stop using brand-name fabric softeners or dryer sheets. Do you have any idea what chemicals are used in those products? The truth would astonish you.
Ok. I hope you enjoyed this article. But before I sign off I wanted to recommend that you review the must see reports below if you have not already.
Blessings to you and yours
La Chica Organica – Remember to live life as a gift and give that gift away everyday!™
Must See Reports:
Toxic Baby Wash –Johnson & Johnson class action suit.
Not So Sexy – The Health Risks of Secret Chemicals in Fragrance
Shopper’s Guide to Safe Cosmetics
Reasons to Make Chemicals Kid-Safe
10 Americans’ video – how to protect children and families from toxic chemicals
Chemical Pollution – The Toll on America’s Health
As a side note, I recently had a great shopping experience with a company called Cosmetics without Synthetics that sells a line of cosmetics called Earth’s Beauty. I found them on the Skin Deep Database since 8 of their products are rated favorably on the Database. I needed to order mascara since I have not used one for several years now and I wanted to find a safe one I could use occasionally.
So, I ordered a travel size and paid for my order. A few minutes later a very nice lady called me to inform me that they did not have anymore travel sizes in stock and that she would kindly ship out the large size to me at no extra charge. We spoke for a few minutes and she offered to send me a free lipstick sample as well. I received my order in less then 4 days and I am very pleased. This is one company that seems to have it right and they have been a BBB Accredited Business since July 2004 with a current rating of A+. To view their product ratings by Skin Deep click here.
Sources: 10 tips by Mike Adams – Natural News
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Toxic Baby Wash – Plus Johnson & Johnson class action suit.
26 Apr 2010 1 Comment
in Baby & Child Health, cancer, God's Green Herbs, Nursing Super Mommy Tags: baby, Environmental Working Group, Johnson & Johnson, lawsuit, new mom, toxic baby wash
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), personal care products contain known human carcinogens or developmental toxins, and more than one-third of all personal care products contain at least one ingredient linked to cancer. You can access their database by clicking on the image on your bottom right that says “Are your cosmetics toxic?”
So what do you use for your baby or grandbaby, or what are you planning to use? I don’t know about you but I am very careful on what I knowingly allow my children’s skin to absorb especially our baby. You see baby’s skin is their largest organ and is quick to absorb toxic ingredients into their bloodstream.
When companies like Johnson & Johnson are being sued for placing known carcinogens in their baby wash, it leaves a not so nice taste in my mouth. Especially since most people choose these toxic washes completely unaware of the dangers.
If you have trouble believing me just check out the latest class action suit against J & J for toxic baby wash – Click here to participate in the suit or to read about it
Your baby’s skin is so important because it’s the filter for their little bodies. What they are exposed to eventually ends up in their blood stream and can cause serious harm down the line. That’s why studies have shown toxic chemicals in the umbilical cord of a newborn child. Now if that doesn’t get your attention I don’t know what will.
Please don’t risk it. Go to the link I mentioned at the beginning of this article which is located to the bottom right of this page. There you can type in an array of products even baby products and it will tell you what you almost wish you didn’t know.
Interested in a safer alternative? We use organic herbs for bathing baby; as a matter of fact I use them myself too. If you are interested in an article about the use of herbal infusions for skin care please email me at LaChicaOrganica@gmail.com
If I receive 10 requests or more I will post an article ASAP. If not I will post one anyway, but it won’t be right away. 
Safe bathing!
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