Listen to the canaries. I’ve written 10 blogs since August mentioning how bad pesticides are for all of us. Now, a link has been made between pesticide residue and ADHD in children. People have said to me that they can’t taste the difference between organically grown and pesticide grown fruits and veggies. Repeatedly, I’ve said that it’s not so much about the taste as it is about not consuming food with these residues. Although, if you buy locally grown fruit and veggies they will taste better. They will taste better because they haven’t sat in shipping containers traveling across the country or across the world. Locally grown fruit and veggies are also not bred for shelf life, like the ones shipped great distances. Why do you think those tomatoes in the winter taste like they do? Shelf life. As an extra bonus, buying local saves huge amounts of gasoline (less need for drilling). Many of you have watched my movie about the Pickerel frog called Our Little Canary The Pickerel Frog. Frogs and amphibians are sounding the alarm (like canaries dying in the coal mines) to the danger of chemical based pesticides and herbicides. We must listen.
Here is a guide to get you started. This is a list of the fruits and veggies that you should always buy organic, and a list of fruits and veggies that traditionally have less pesticide use and residue. I’ve also posted where you can get a downloadable list for you phone or wallet. Dirty Dozen and Clean 15
Dirty Dozen
1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10 .Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (Imported)
Clean 15
1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mangoes
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potato
15. Honeydew Melon
Nice article.. I appreciate the list, too, which refreshed and filled out my awareness of which vegetables and fruits tend to be more risky than others. Thanks.
I completely believe that some children are more sensitive to chemicals than others. I learned to organically grow the dirty dozen years ago when my 4 year old son began having seizures. He’s very sensitive to drugs and pesticides so it made sense to limit the chemicals in his diet. I wouldn’t doubt for a minute that children with ADHD are sensitive to pesticides.
I even wrote a book about our experience with my son and a guide to growing the dirty dozen organically. If you are interested, it is called Container Gardening for Health: The 12 Most Important Fruits & Vegetables for Your Organic Garden.
On the positive side, there isn’t much in the way of pesticide residue on the rest of our vegetables. If you can’t afford to purchase organics, just grow from the dirty dozen list the fruits & vegetables your family eats most often.