Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives

How safe are the artificial colors
and dyes added to candy? Would it surprise
you to hear they're banned throughout Europe?

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  Many of us have been exposed to the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 'clean eating' lists. I've previously written about both of them several times.

  The Dirty Dozen are fruits and vegetables we should always buy organic (if you're trying to avoid pesticides, etc), while the Clean 15 are foods that are okay to buy conventionally (many times, produce that has thick skins or rinds).

  Unfortunately, our entire diet is not made up of only produce. For convenience's sake, processed foods are a part of our daily lives. Foods we buy in a box (meaning, they're processed), come with a plethora of added ingredients.

  Wouldn't it be nice to know what ingredients we should really try to avoid -- just like those pesticides found on produce?

Cured meats contain nitrates and nitrites.

  The Environmental Working Group (EWG), the same group that publishes the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen, followed through, and released the first Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives.

  The list does exactly what it sounds like it does: identifies the top food additives that are harmful and why consumers should avoid eating foods that contain these additives.

  There are over 10,000 additives allowed in the US Food Supply. Most of the additives identified for the dirty dozen are controversial because they are generally recognized as safe in the US, but are known carcinogens or disruptors, and are banned or restricted in other countries around the world.

DIRTY DOZEN GUIDE TO FOOD ADDITIVES:

1. Nitrates and nitrites -- very common; found in cured meats, can react to form cancer-causing compounds
2. Potassium bromate -- used in bread and cracker dough; a known carcinogen
3. Propyl paraben -- a weak synthetic estrogen found in tortillas and muffins
4. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) -- very common; found in chips, cured meats, etc; categorized as a possible human carcinogen
5. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) -- chemical cousin to BHA
6. Propyl gallate -- preservative found in edible fats
7. Theobromine -- found in chocolate
8. Secret flavor ingredients -- 'artificial' or 'natural' flavors; mostly synthetic chemicals that can contain 100 different substances (that do not have to be disclosed by the manufacturer)
9. Artificial colors -- used to increase the appeal of a foods with little nutritional value; are banned throughout Europe because of effect on children
10. Diacetyl -- in microwave popcorn, yogurt, cheeses, etc; concerns over working closely with flavoring chemicals in food factories have been raised as of late
11. Phosphates -- most common additive -- found in over 20,000 products; leaven baked goods, reduce acid and improve moisture retention and tenderness in processed meats; concerns over cardiovascular/heart disease in high phosphate levels
12. Aluminum additives -- used as food stabilizers

  If you have further questions, follow the link to the EWG's guide to explore and learn more about the specifics of these additives and their health concerns.

  So what does this mean? From the looks of it -- as you walk down the grocery store aisles -- most of us are reading food labels these days anyways; the latest list from the EWG just gives us something specific to look for!

  There is a lot of information out there; the key is getting it. And once you have the information, it's up to you to do with it as you like!

LINKS:

Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives

Environmental Working Group (EWG)

RELATED POSTS:

Clean or Dirty? Produce Rundown

Supermarket Sweep

Produce Clean Up: Pesticide Removal

Clean or Dirty: Produce Rundown

Pears: clean, or dirty?

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  Time for an update! Originally I posted a Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 reminder in March of 2013, but as time goes on, things change.

  With 2014, new Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists have surfaced.

  The Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes a shopper's guide to help consumers avoid high amounts of harmful pesticides on fruit and vegetables.

  The Dirty Dozen (known as the Dirty Dozen Plus, as of 2012) is a list made up of fresh fruits and vegetables that were found to have the highest amount of pesticide residues. Because of the high pesticide levels, it is recommended to always buy Dirty Dozen produce organically.

  On the other hand, the Clean 15 is a list of the 15 fruits and vegetables with the least amount of pesticide residues. Many of these items have thick skins or rinds that are pealed off, and never eaten, therefore it's not as imperative to buy them organically.

  To see the full list of pesticide residue found on produce, see the EWG's Shopper's Guide.

  So what do you do when your favorite fruit or veggie isn't on either list? I think that's up for you to decide.

  If I can find high-quality, well-priced items that lie just outside the Dirty Dozen, more often than not, I opt to buy them organic.

  Hope this reminder was just as helpful for you as it was for me!

 RELATED POSTS:

Making Organic More Affordable 

Organic vs. Conventional

LINKS:

Pesticides On My Produce?

EWG's 2014 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides on Produce

Produce Clean Up: Pesticide Removal?

Cleaning our produce is a must!

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  Last week while refreshing both my memory and yours on the ins and outs of the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen, I came to a realization:

   I do a terrible job washing my produce!

  No matter if we buy organic or conventional (chemical) produce, there's still a great need to wash it before we eat it. While organic produce rids us of most pesticide worry, the necessity to wash all our fruits and vegetables remains ever-present.

  Whether it'd be washing away pesticides, dirt, germs, bacteria or all of the above, we need to clean our produce prior to biting into it. I know I am guilty, from time to time, of grabbing an apple, running it under water for .2 seconds (or sometimes not at all), buffing it on a towel or my shirt, and chomping into it. Actually, I used to do it all the time!

  But really, what does that do? Next to nothing.

  We can wash pesticide residues and bacteria off. But it definitely takes a little more than a rinse and a buff.

  Following a few healthy habits can potentially reduce pesticide residue by 75%, and lower virus and bacteria presence by 90-95%. And all it takes is a few more minutes, and a couple extra scrubs!

The Roads Our Produce Travels
  Pesticides are meant to survive through rainy weather and watering, that's why farmers use them!  So obviously all pesticide residue cannot be removed, nor can they be removed when they've seeped through the skin, and into the fruits and vegetables themselves (why buying organic produce is ideal).

Pesticides: can we get rid of them?

  And what about viruses and bacteria the produce picks up as it is transported from farm to grocery store? Sitting in bins, being touched by countless hands, think about where our healthy snack or dinner salad has been!

  I don't know why, but that had never really dawned on me til now. But as I think about it, I realize just how important washing my produce can be.

  Let's make our fruits and veggies even healthier (and probably taste better) by ditching the things we can get rid of!

The Study
  Not shockingly, simply running our fruit and veggies under water for a few seconds really isn't very effective. But it doesn't require too much more effort to make all the difference in the world.

  A comparison of pesticide removal methods (on 196 samples of lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes) at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in 2000 showed that rinsing the produce under tap water for one minute, and treating produce with either a 1% solution of Palmolive dish soap or a fruit and vegetable wash, all produced roughly the same results.

  Tap water rinsing, and soap and wash products all 'significantly reduced' residues of 9 of 12 pesticides. The study went on to detail that water temperature was not the key, but friction was. Scrubbing the produce under tap water is likely the most effective method, and is likely most responsible for removing pesticide residues.

Careful cleaning's important!

Suggested Cleaning Method
  How can we effectively wash pesticides, bacteria, and virus traces off our fruit and veggies?

  Overall, the most effective method, according to the research, is to wash, and lightly scrub, produce with a vinegar solution (one part vinegar to three parts water), and then rinse with tap water for at least 30 seconds. The vinegar mixture reduced bacteria by 90%, repelled viruses by about 95%, while reducing residues of 75% of the pesticides.

  Keeping a spray bottle handy with your vinegar solution is a convenient way to make rinsing more efficient.

Effective Methods:
  -Mix 3 parts water to 1 part white vinegar (3:1 ) in a spray bottle.
  -Spray on fruits and veggies to get rid of pesticide residue.
  -Rinse with water after spraying.
OR
  -Fill a bowl with water and add 1/8 to 1/2 cup of vinegar, depending on the size of your bowl.
  -Place your fruits and veggies in the bowl.
  -Soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse with water.

  At the very least, rinse and scrub!

  There are obvious advantages that carefully cleaning our produce has: not ingesting pesticides, and removal of many harmful bacteria, fungi, and some viruses. I'm a little ashamed that I've never really thought of these benefits until recently.

  Let's give our produce, and our own health, a little extra attention, and make our healthy snacks even healthier!

 LINKS:
Wash Your Fruits and Veggies with Vinegar 

Can I Effectively Wash Pesticides From My Produce?

How to Clean Pesticides Off Produce

How to Wash Pesticides Off Produce

NY Times: How to Wash Fruits & Veggies

 

RELATED POSTS:

Clean or Dirty? Produce Rundown

Making Organics More Affordable

Organic vs. Conventional: Which is Healthier?

Organic vs. Conventional: Which is 'Healthier'?

So many options in the produce section these days.

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  'Is Organic Food a Hoax?'

  I've seen this headline, and others like it, far too many times the past few months. And frankly, they have me irked. I find them misleading and irresponsible.

  A Stanford study, released early-September of 2012, claims to have found "little evidence of health benefits from organic foods" and that, organic foods are 'no healthier' than conventional (chemical) foods. The report spurred an influx of question marks hurled at the organic food industry.

  Almost immediately after the report was released, news reports, articles, blogs, you name it, questioned whether organics were worth the expense, and sported headlines stating organics were no healthier or 'better for you' than conventional products.

  Sadly, they've missed the point.

The Study
  Stanford University researchers conducted the "most comprehensive meta-analysis (review) to date of existing studies comparing organic and conventional foods." After analyzing the data, the researchers found "little significant difference in health benefits between organic and conventional foods."

  No "consistent differences" were found between vitamin content of organic and conventional products. Only one nutrient, phosphorus, was significantly higher in organic products.

  No difference in protein or fat content between organic and conventional milk were found, among other results.

  Alas the statement, "organic foods are no healthier than conventional food".

  Honestly, the findings are not surprising. Call me crazy, but the organic industry has never claimed its food to be more nutrient dense, or 'healthier' than conventional foods. 

What Does Healthier Mean to You?
  If 'healthier', to you, refers ONLY to nutritional content -- how many calories, grams of vitamin C, protein, fat, or carbohydrate a product has -- then of course, organic and conventional foods are not much different.

  The Stanford researchers narrowly defined 'health' solely based on those terms.

  The premise behind organic is NOT that they any MORE nutritious. It's what you're avoiding: the CHEMICALS, HORMONES, and ANTIBIOTICS that come with conventional foods.

Organic or conventional???

Real Findings
  Buried in the report was this small statement, however: "though consumption of organic foods can reduce the risk of pesticide exposure." THAT has been the claim, and will always be the claim of organic foods.

  It's not what you will GAIN from eating them, but what you will AVOID.

  Aside from the attention-grabbing headlines, these were the ACTUAL findings of the study:

• Organic foods were just as nutritious as conventional foods.
• Conventional produce were more likely to carry pesticide residues.
• Organic milk contained more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
• Conventional meat was more likely to be contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Conflicting Studies
  Nutrition research on organic foods are still in their beginnings. There have not been many studies conducted, and there are numerous variables that can have one affect or another on nutrient content. Ripeness of a piece of fruit, for example, directly affects nutritional value.

  Findings from another recent study, at Washington State, directly opposes the Stanford report. When comparing strawberries, it was found that organically grown berries had higher levels of antioxidants and vitamin C. But I'm willing to bet most missed those headlines.

  So who, and what, are we to believe?

  Above all, we're trying to avoid chemicals. Hopefully we all saw through the smoke screen, and remembered that is one of the goals in attaining 'health'.

LINKS:
Stanford Organic Study
Is Organic Food a Hoax?
Stanford Organics Study Misses the Point
Is Organic Food Worth the Expense?
Why Organic? Answer to Stanford Study
Debunking the Debunkers of Organics
Is the Stanford Organics Study a Threat to Our Health?
Consumer Reports: Don't Give Up on Organic Food
Organic Strawberries are Better

A Workout, and a Recipe

Out for a run.

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  Today, I'm trying something new, a little bit different than my blog norm. Even though I'm fully into the off-season, my day-to-day routine isn't much different than what it is when I'm in-season, in Europe.

  Yes, I'm back home in the US, and I have my family and friends in closer proximity. But my job hasn't changed. I still play professional hoops. So for me, the summertime, the off-season, is a time to get better.

  And contrary to what you might think, basketball isn't just about shooting and dribbling. There are countless ways you can improve yourself: athletically, endurance/overall fitness, nutritionally, mentally. What the off-season allows me to do is be a little bit more daring, a little bit more experimental. I don't have games to prepare for, so it gives me the opportunity to spice things up and try new things.

  I don't have my own trainer. I'm on my own a lot, and I'm motivating myself. So I'm constantly looking for new things to do, new workouts, new techniques, a wacky recipe that I think would be fun to try.

  And that's what I want to share with you today: a workout I recently did, and a recipe I tinkered with this past week.

  Early in the summer, I run a lot. I've made no secret that I actually enjoy running a great deal. As the off-season goes on, I taper down on distance running, and do more basketball-specific running (sprints, intervals, etc...) so I'm in 'basketball shape' for the season. But even when I'm just running, I think it's a mental boost to vary the things you do.

  So here's a 'speed' workout I did last week from Runner's World:

THE WORKOUT: Half-mile repeats at your goal 5-K pace with a quarter-mile jog recovery. "The recovery is long enough to clear most of the lactic acid from your muscles, but short enough to keep the workout challenging," says Kastor. Beginners should do three or four repeats; more advanced runners can run up to 10 repeats. Measure the distance with a GPS or mapmyrun.com, or run by time (for example, if your 5-K pace is 8:00, run four minutes hard and recover with two to three minutes of jogging).

  I wanted to work to increase my pace. So here's what I did (does this link actually work for those of you not signed in as me??? If it does, isn't Nike+ awesome!?!): I tried to run 1/2 mile under a 7:45 mile pace, recover for three minutes at an easy pace, and then repeated it five times. I liked it. It was a tough workout, and I think it'll help me improve my natural pace. I'll do it again, maybe once a week, or every other week for a while.

Great for a quick snack on the go!

THE RECIPE: Power Muffins (a hybrid recipe I did, using aspects of three different recipes: Clean Eating Cranberry Muffins, Flax Power Muffins, Protein Power Muffins)

        Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour 

1 cup oat (Quaker quick oats work fine) 

2 tsp. baking powder 

1 egg 

1/2 cup honey (for sweeter muffins) or 1/4 cup (for not-so-sweet muffins) 

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk 

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce 

2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 cup ground flax seed 

1/4 cup chopped pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)

(you can add a ripened mashed banana in place of the apple sauce, I've also added a handful of chocolate chips to the mix on occasion!)

        Directions:
Step 1 – In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, ground flax seed, and chopped pepitas.
Step 2 – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, honey, almond milk and apple sauce.
Step 3 – Whisk the flour mixture in to the wet mixture and blend well.
Step 4 – Spoon batter in to standard sized cupcake papers until the batter is approximately 1/4 inch from the top of the papers.
Step 5 – Bake at 350F. for approximately 20 minutes or until they just start to turn golden brown. Step 6 – Allow to cool and serve. Eat and Enjoy!
(Makes 12 small muffins)

        Nutritional Information: (estimated at nutritiondata.self.com)
Serving Size: 1 muffin, 97 calories, 3 grams of healthy fat, 3 grams fiber, 4 grams of protein, 16 grams of carbohydrate

  Try it if you're looking for a relatively healthy snack recipe! Pretty good with a little peanut butter on it. :) You can freeze them, if you're not going to eat 'em all up right away!

  Let me know if you try either the workout (that you can do at your own pace, of course!), or the recipe. AND if you have one of your own that you'd like to share with me, send 'em my way. Like I said before, I'm always on the lookout for something new to try!

  So what do you think? Keep posting workouts and recipes (don't worry, they won't always be weird recipes. But hopefully, somewhat healthy and tasty!)???

Agave Addendum

Agave Nectar

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  A couple months ago, I wrote an entry about sugar, artificial sweeteners, and possible alternatives to refined white sugar. My message in that particular blog was that real sugar isn't as evil as it's made out to be. It's how much of it we're consuming (many times, unknowingly). And it's too much of the fake stuff -- the processed sugars and sweeteners -- that get us into trouble. 

  That message hasn't changed, but I have an update on one of the possible alternatives.

  Almost immediately after pushing the 'publish' button on that blog in February, I received feedback about one of the alternatives: Agave (or Agave Nectar). 

  Even though I was a somewhat skeptical, I had started using Agave this Fall to sweeten my morning coffee. When I received feedback to look further into Agave, I did just that. And what I found resulted in immediately stopping my usage of Agave.

What is Agave Nectar?

  Agave is relatively new to mainstream markets, but it is definitely becoming more and more well-known. It's often touted as a 'health food' because it doesn't raise blood glucose levels in the same way refined white sugar does. I've also seen it advertised as natural and organic. Marketers call Agave a health food because it's considered a low-glycemic sweetener. Since Agave is very high in fructose (most consist of 70-80% fructose), it does not get absorbed into the blood stream as quickly as white sugar does.

  However, with further research, it seems that Agave Nectar is just as processed as High Fructose Corn Syrup (which is 55% fructose by comparison). So that debunks the claim that Agave is organic, natural or traditional.

  In fact, Agave and HFCS are made in the same manner: 

"using a highly chemical process with genetically modified enzymes. They are also using caustic acids, clarifiers, filtration chemicals and so forth in the conversion of agave starches into highly refined fructose inulin that is even higher in fructose content than high fructose corn syrup."

 What's the problem with fructose?

  Concentrated fructose isn't found anywhere in nature. Not even the sweetest of fruits. Fructose is a man-made sugar created by the refining process. Refined fructose doesn't contain any amino acids, vitamins, minerals, pectin, or fiber. As a result, the body doesn’t recognize refined fructose.

  Levulose is the naturally occurring sugar in fruits. It contains enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and fruit pectin.

  Refined fructose is processed in the body through the liver, and not digested in the intestine. Whereas levulose is digested in the intestine. This is a crucial factor to our bodies and digestive systems. Because fructose is digested in the liver, it is immediately turned into triglycerides or stored body fat. Since it doesn’t get converted to blood glucose like other sugars do, it doesn’t affect blood sugar levels in the same manner either. Hence the claim that it is safe for diabetics, and is a low-glycemic sweetener.

Who do we believe?

Agave plant

  But still, here's the problem with Agave. The information within public reach is extremely inconsistent.

  One place you might read that it IS indeed a health food, and a solid alternative to white sugar. That it takes your body longer to break Agave down.

  While other sources claim that it is no better than High Fructose Corn Syrup (or possibly worse), and the excess fructose in Agave increases the risk of metabolic syndrome, which can lead to brain shrinkage and mood instability.

  Google it quickly, and see the varying stories you get.

  With all the differing stories about Agave at our disposal, I wanted to pass along the new information I had become aware of. As always, knowledge is power! And since I had previously written that I used Agave, I wanted to issue an addendum of sorts. I don't want to provide bad information to my readers! 

What now?

  With Agave seemingly thrown out the window, I was back at square one. If I want to avoid refined white sugar, what is my best option?

  The best bet I have come across is Organic Cane Sugar. Again, I really only use sugar to sweeten my coffee. So if you are baking and are looking for another alternative, there might be a better solution.

  I have also come across people who rave about Beet Sugar. I personally have not used beet sugar, so I cannot speak of it one way or the other.

  If anything, we need to realize that no sweetener or sugar is a 'health food'! There is no magical sweetener that has zero calories, and won't harm our bodies in other ways. Sugar and other sweeteners should always be consumed in moderation, and is something we should always be mindful of. If you want something sweet, choose the calories NOT the chemicals!

 

LINKS:
Rodale: The 4 Best, and 3 Worst Sweeteners
Rodale: Food and Depression
Agave Nectar by Dr. Paul Gannon
Why is White Refined Sugar Unhealthy?
Agave Nectar: Good or Bad?

Clean Living: Avoiding Parabens

Check labels of beauty products!

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  I'm sure we've all heard about the emergence of clean living, and more so 'clean eating' in recent years. I am striving to live cleaner and cleaner everyday myself.

  The more I read however, the more areas I am finding need to be 'cleaned up', so to speak (I'm actually finding it a little overwhelming).

  Clean living basically means avoiding the intake of chemicals. Your diet is the most obvious aspect of clean living. But one part of clean living I never really thought of until recently, is what I put ON my body, as well as IN it.

  Our skin is trans-dermal. Meaning anything we put onto our skin, is actually absorbed into our body as if we were eating it. So given that, what we put onto our bodies is just as important as the food and drink we are putting into it.
 
  I came across an article several weeks ago that sparked my interest, and opened my eyes in regard to a link between breast cancer and parabens. To me it's a new health issue to be conscious of, but probably isn't all that new to the rest of the 'clean living' world.

  Parabens are chemicals (that are also estrogenic -- mimic estrogen our bodies, and endocrine disruptors -- interfere with our hormone system) that are added to almost everything. Ranging from shampoos and deodorants, to processed foods (sausages, pastries, etc) and pharmaceutical drugs.

  Why are they so common, you ask? You can probably guess; they're added to these products to inexpensively expand the shelf-life and improve product stability.

  Parabens are also found in moisturizers, shaving gels, tanning solutions, makeup, and toothpaste. So roughly everything we might use on a daily basis as part of our hygiene routine have parabens in them.

  So what's to be worried about?

  A research team, led by Dr. Philippa Darbre, studied tissue samples from 40 women who were undergoing mastectomies for breast cancer between 2005 and 2008. Four samples were collected from each woman (160 samples in total). Dr. Darbre's team found that 99% of the tissue samples contained at least one paraben, and 60% of the samples contained five.

   While this certainly doesn't prove parabens are the sole cause of breast cancer, it does show a link, and is something that needs to be examined and researched further. It would be nice to know the percentage of 'normal' women who have parabens in their breast tissue, but that might be a little too invasive to test for.

  Obviously there are other risk factors to take into account (age, gender, and a significant family history), but it's important people are provided with the information. Knowledge is power, isn't it? Once people are provided with all relative information, they then can make their own lifestyle choices based on that information. 

  Sounds like a good deal to me. Some might say ignorance is bliss. But not where our health is concerned. I would like to know, so I can adjust my lifestyle accordingly.

  Just as in our food system, it's also important to read the labels of our hygiene products. Parabens will be listed in the ingredients (they could be in the form of: methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, or butylparaben). Some products might have labels saying that they are paraben-free, so be on the look out for those ('natural' does not mean organic or paraben-free, just like in food).

Some other causes for concern.

  Like my previous blogs about GMOs, all I want to do is pass along information I come across that I feel might be useful, and that I feel might not be a part of mainstream knowledge. There are some other aspects of 'beauty products' that I want to address in the coming weeks, as well. But I didn't want to overwhelm with too much information!

  Chemicals aren't meant to be ingested. Be diligent, and pay attention to what we are putting in AND on our bodies!

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LINKS:

Daily Mail

Washington Post

Natural News

Jillian Michaels Podcast 4/8/2011