How important is it to choose organic produce when juicing?
In my opinion....VITALLY important. One of the primary reasons for juicing fresh produce is to detox chemicals, toxins, and pesticides from your body. Conventional fruits and veggies are DRENCHED in these poisons. Let me show you a nice waxy conventional apple for example.
42 Pesticide Residues Found by the USDA Pesticide Data Program
Human Health Effects:
| 7 | — | Known or Probable Carcinogens4 |
| 19 | — | Suspected Hormone Disruptors |
| 10 | — | Neurotoxins |
| 6 | — | Developmental or Reproductive Toxins |
Environmental Effects:
| 17 | — | Honeybee Toxins5 |
To find out more about the toxicity level of what you are putting in your mouth, visit www.whatsonmyfood.org
ANYWAY, my point is that eating produce drenched in pesticides kind of defeats the purpose of trying to rid your body of them.
HOWEVER, I understand that there are financial limitations for some and accessibility issues for others. Trust me, I live in Lawton. Finding organic produce is next to impossible. BUT I get what I can and that's what I eat. I visit my local health food store when their weekly shipment comes in.
For those of you who cannot go ALL organic, here are some tips to minimize the toxins.
1. Buy an organic produce wash and scrub the living daylights out of your produce. Put it on your "Honey Do" list if you must.
2. Save money by choosing non organic fruits that have thick skins like oranges and bananas (can't juice bananas, but you can eat them when you're not juicing of course)
3. Choose organic from the dirty dozen list and conventional from the clean fifteen.
See the attached chart. The images aren't great but you can google it. :) Take this to the grocery store with you as a guide. I still forget sometimes.
I found also this chart that lists the healing effects of various juices. Pretty cool! You can pick and choose depending upon your personal health needs!
| Healing Effects of Fruit Juices | |
|---|---|
| Apples | good for liver and intestines, relieves diarrhea |
| Blackberries | prevent diarrhea, help eliminate phlegm |
| Blueberries | help strengthen immune system, lower fever |
| Cherries | strengthen blood, good for colon and menstrual problems |
| Grapes | purify and strengthen blood, good for colon |
| Lemons | good for liver and gallbladder, helps with allergies, asthma, cardiovascular disease, and colds |
| Oranges | strengthen immune and nervous sytems, good for cardiovascular disease, obesity, and varicose veins |
| Peaches | improve skin health, help detoxify |
| Pears | helps lower blood pressure, good for gallbladder |
| Pineapple | good for eyes and skin, helps with allergies, arthritis, inflammation, and edema |
| Strawberries | cleansing to the blood, strengthen nerves |
| Watermelon | good for kidneys, helps with edema |
| Healing Effects of Vegetable Juices | |
|---|---|
| Beets | good for blood and liver, help with arthritis and menstrual problems |
| Cabbage | good for colon, helps with ulcers and colitis |
| Carrot | good for eyes and skin, fights infection, helps with arthritis and osteoporosis |
| Celery | good detoxifier, good for kidneys |
| Cucumber | helpful toward edema and diabetes |
| Dandelion | good detoxifier |
| Leafy Greens | purifier, good for skin, digestive problems, and obesity |
| Onion | helps lower blood pressure, good for colon |
| Potatoes | good for intestines, counteracts excess acidity in stomach |
| Radish | good for liver |
| Spinach | blood builder, good for eczema |
| Tomatoes | good for digestive system |
| Wheatgrass | good for blood, liver, intestines, breath |
| Healing Effects of Juiced Herbs | |
|---|---|
| Garlic | lowers blood pressure, fights germs, good for allergies, colds, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes |
| Horseradish | acts as disinfectant and diuretic |
| Parsley | diuretic |
| Watercress | detoxifier, good for anemia and colds |
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