Food for Thought

A lot of people have New Years resolutions. A popular one relates to health and eating better. I've been finding lots of articles on good and not so good foods, and I seem to be talking about them lately with various people so I thought I would compile a list for my fine readers. :)

First, the not so good. I first found this article at Mission Vegan, where she provided a link to the original article. This is a list of foods that various experts will not eat. The area of expertise ranges from MDs to farmers, scientists to advocates. I won't paraphrase the whole article, but I will provide a list of the nasties that the doctors and research scientists themselves won't put in their bodies. Please check out the Mission Vegan link or the Yahoo link for details on why they are so nasty and what alternatives you can choose.

1. Canned tomatoes
2. Corn-fed beef
3. Microwave popcorn
4. Non-organic potatoes
5. Farmed salmon
6. Milk produced with artificial hormones
7. Non-organic apples

This brings us to the "Dirty Dozen", the list of produce that consistently test so high for pesticides after washing that it is recommended that you always buy organic. Check out this list assembled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Consumer Reports, and Environmental Working Group. You will notice that there is a bit of overlap with the list above.

1. Nectarines
2. Celery
3. Pears
4. Peaches
5. Apples
6. Cherries
7. Strawberries
8. Imported Grapes
9. Spinach
10. Potatoes
11. Bell Peppers
12. Red Raspberries

Now for the good. There is a corresponding list of produce that consistently tested low for pesticides. These are foods you could get away with buying conventional, or non-organic. Notice that many of these foods have a skin that protects the food and gets peeled before eating.

1. Asparagus
2. Avocados
3. Bananas
4. Broccoli
5. Cauliflower
6. Corn
7. Kiwis
8. Mangos
9. Onions
10. Papaya
11. Pineapples
12. Sweet Peas

Lastly, for your enjoyment I have included a link to a CNN article on 5 foods that contribute to overall good health and can help ward off certain diseases. Check out the link to see which diseases they help fight and for nutritional details:

1. Grains such as oats, barley, and rye
2. Soy
3. Wild salmon and other oily fish (but only in moderation due to potential mercury build up in the flesh of oily fish)
4. Red Wine
5. Green Tea

Here's to a healthy 2010 everybody!