Organic vs Conventionally Grown Peaches

According to The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. we should purchase organic peaches. Their tests indicate peaches have the most pesticides of any fruit or vegetable, they are most susceptible to pesticide residue. Whenever possible, buy organic peaches.

Being more than 80 percent water and a good source of dietary fiber, peaches are a great addition to any diet especially those trying to lose weight. Peaches also promote healthy skin and are a rich source of Vitamin A. Peaches may be beneficial in the prevention of cancer in organs and glands with epithelial tissue.

Research shows eating peaches helps in the removal of worms from the intestinal tract helping to maintain intestinal health. They also have good to excellent antioxidant activity, some antimicrobial activity and good to excellent tumor growth inhibition activity.

Peaches are beneficial to those dealing with many ailments among those being acidosis, anemia, arthritis, asthma, bladder or kidney stones, bronchitis, gout, high blood pressure and poor digestion.
Organic peaches are a great addition to our diets and a fantastic way to boost the flavour in a salad or provide a dessert you can indulge in guilt free seconds.

Organic VS Conventionally grown Apples

Last week CBC news network reported food costs are now at a record high worldwide. With ever increasing costs it can be difficult deciding the best choice of produce for your dollar. Organics are widely available now and no longer considered a specialty item but with the higher price of organic over conventionally grown produce when is it best to chose organics?

Over the next couple months I will post information on a variety of fruits and vegetables showing where it is better to pick organic or when the alternative is not such a bad choice. It would be wonderful if everyone could always buy organic but that is not always practical. Organics are not only kinder to the environment but so much better for your health not to ingest pesticide residue.

Apples:

It is well worth purchasing organic apples but if they are not available or your budget does not allow organics this week then the conventionally grown is a good option. Giving the apples a good scrub under running water will help to reduce pesticide residue. Pay extra attention to the dimple on the stem end and the blossom end as they can collect and hold the chemical sprays longer.

It is better to scrub apples rather than peal them because the skin is very beneficial. An extract in apple skin has been found to decrease the risk of liver cancer by 57 percent. Researchers at Cornell University have identified several compounds in apple peal called triterpenoids that have potent anti-growth activities with cancer cells in the liver, colon and breast. So whenever possible keep the skins on.

Apples are packed full of phytochemicals, a type of antioxidant that helps to fight the harmful effects of cholesterol, thereby helping to prevent heart disease. They also combat free radicals which are known to damage cells in our bodies. Red apples have quercetin which is felt to be beneficial in protecting against developing Alzheimer’s disease due to free radical damage.

Apples are packed full of vitamins and minerals along with galacturonic acid which helps to lower the body’s insulin requirement helping to manage diabetes.

Women who eat at least one apple a day are 28 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Apples are loaded with soluble fibre, the key to blunting blood sugar swings. Fibre is also important for weight loss and management, one apple has the same amount of fiber as a bowl of bran cereal. Fibre is also beneficial for hemorrhoids and can neutralize irritable bowel syndrome. Phenolic, a compound in apple skin, prevents cholesterol from solidifying on the artery walls thereby slowing down the build-up of plaque.

“Research has shown that people who eat fruits and other high-fibre foods gain a certain amount of protection against Parkinson’s, a disease characterized by a breakdown of the brain’s dopamine-producing nerve cells. Scientists have linked this to the free radical-fighting power of the antioxidants contained therein.”

With so many health benefits packed into one little apple it is a great choice on anyone’s daily menu. A no mess fruit to pick up as you head out the door, apple juice through the day, apple cider vinegar in recipes. There are as many daily opportunities to include a high fibre fruit like apples as there are benefits.

An apple a day….

Healthy Food – Healthy People

How To Identify Genetically Modified Produce

In the produce department deciphering if the food is conventionally grown, organic or genetically modified is sometimes a challenge. Here is a quick way to check.
The little produce stickers on the apples, bananas, tomatoes…. is the clue. This tag will have either 4 numbers or 5 numbers on it. If there are 4 digits on the tag it is conventionally grown which means the standard chemical fertilizer, herbicide, fungicide, pesticide cocktail has been used.

If there are five numbers and it begins with 9 it is organic. If the five numbers begin with 8, it is genetically modified.

This same method is used not only in Canada but the US, UK, France, New Zealand and Australia. This identification is used for produce grown in these countries and any country exporting into them must tag in the same way.

A quick and easy check to know what you are placing in your shopping cart. A great tool to help with your food planning that has actually been used for a long time, they just didn’t tell us about it.