47 Most Pesticide-laced Fruits and Veggies

I am glad that you're my friend!

Likewise :^)

Makes me sort of despair. I guess the only way to make sure something is pesticide free is to move out in the middle of nowhere and grow your own. Oh, and make sure your neighbors don't spray anything...

I am still reading up on this, and I keep learning more.

One thing that is a slight positive-- living organisms do have some degree of ability to cope with toxins in their environment. Even centuries ago, before all this pollution and use of artificial chemicals, there were from time to time some naturally occuring toxins in nature. And living things have evolved to cope with some toxic contamination. (Of course now there's just such a tremendous amount).

I think growing ones' own food, especially in a relatively isolated area, would be ideal. But there are things we can do even if we can't grow our own food. I finally started buying mostly organic food. Since it is more expensive, I do it only partly-- for the worst things I try to buy organic, for those low on the list I often don't.

There are other things to know.

For example, Mercury in fish. I had come across a list-- some have a lot, some have a relatively small amount. However, even without the list of specific fishes, I discovered a general rule of thumb-- "eat lower on the food chain".

Medium size fishes eat smaller ones-- big fish eat medium ones! As bigger fish keep eating smaller ones, toxic concentrations builds. So, quite simply-- the smaller fish generally have much lower levels of Mercury (also other contaminents). Small fish like Sardines, Herring, etc are the best. Salmon aren't as good, but still probably OK. (Important-- wild caught Salmon only-- avoid farmed Salmon as their feed is often contaminated). Large fish generally have the most contaminants (Swordfish, Tuna, etc).

Local farmer's markets are great-- for people who have them in their area.

So an apple a day can give you cancer? I have an apple every night before bed. It's not a practice I want to give up. Does washing get rid of some of the poison?

Interesting question-- I don't know. Will have to check into that.

I noticed while in Whole Foods that they sell a liquid for washing toxins off fruits and vegetables-- and I wonder if regular dish detergent woukld do as well? Also-- how much toxins remain on surface, and how much actually enters the interior of the produce.

I've started buying mostly organic. of course its mostly more expensive. (There are exceptions-- often carrots, for example , are the same price).

A while back a Whole Foods opened up not far from where I live. they usually have one kind of organic apple on sale (they change the variety from time to time)-- they are then really inexpensive.

Organic has other advantages as well-- by law if its organic it can't be GMO (the dangers of eating GMO still a controversial topic I believe)-- and also, I think that organic is often more nutritious.

If organic produce wasn't often so much more expensive, I would eat only organic...

Another more reasonably priced alternative is to buy local produce .

Actually that's probably the best of all.

Or-- for some people-- it might be feasable to "grow their own'". I just came across this article and seeded it (pun intended :-)

Banking on Gardening