Pesticides: You Think You Know, But You Have No Idea

Everyone knows that our fields of, non-organic, fruits and vegetables are sprayed with pesticides. We also know that non-organic meat comes from animals that feed on fields that have been genetically altered and sprayed with pesticides. But, do you really know the skinni on pesticides? Lets get down and dirty!!! Pesticides are substances or a mixture of substances that are used to prevent, kill, or destroy a pest. A pesticide can be a chemical substance or a biological agent like a virus or a bacteria. There are four types of pesticides that are widely used on and in the foods that we eat... rodenticides - kills rodents, herbicides - kills weeds, fungicide - kills mold and fungus, and antimicrobials - kill bacteria.  All I have to say is, Yummy, not!
  The Environmental Protection Agency, also known as the EPA is responsible for regulating and protecting you and I and our families from these dangerous pesticides. Do I think they are doing their job, Hell no!!! The EPA sets limits on how much pesticide residue is allowed to remain in and on the foods that we eat. These limits are known as tolerances. Our federal government cares so much about us, they control and limit the amount of pesticides we consume. I totally feel the love!! I don't know about you, but the amount of this crap I want to consume is zero.
  Pesticides have many side effects. Some are nausea, dizziness, slurred speech, headaches, vomiting, eye irritation, caner and death. The use of pesticides have been linked to ADHD in children and Parkinson's disease, and asthma. They can also effect our nervous system, endocrine function, and how our body regulates hormones.
  For my meat eaters, I love you guys by the way. Have you ever heard of starlink corn? I didn't think so. Starlink corn is a genetically altered feed that contains insecticidal protein. It has been rendered unsafe for human consumption. But, the EPA allows the use of starlink corn for livestock feed. Okay, so let me get this straight, let the humans eat the animals that ate the corn? Great idea, a-holes!
  Methyl iodide is the most toxic pesticide out there. It has been linked to cancer and late-term miscarriages. The EPA allows this chemical to be sprayed on berries... strawberries and  blueberries. The state of California has made several attempts to have this chemical banned, but has been unsuccessful. There was a study recently done by Dr. Andrew Weil of the  Huffington Post, which took several different non-organic fruits and vegetables dissected them for pesticide residue. From this research came the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 List. With Dirty Dozen five or more chemicals were found. The Clean 15 zero to <1 chemicals were found.
Dirty Dozen 
Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries
Nectarines
Bell Peppers
Spinach
Kale
Cherries
Potatoes
Gapes

Clean 15
Onions
Avocado
Sweet Corn
Pineapple
Mangoes
Sweet Peas
Asparagus
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet Potatoes
Honeydew Melon
  So what can we do to protect ourselves from these killers? One thing we can do is buy certified organically grown foods. These foods are grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. I know that buying organic can be expensive, remember the non-organic Clean 15 list. Also clean ALL fruits and vegetables before eating them, whether they are organic or non-organic. Water alone is not good enough. Here is a solution that I use and retrieved from Fitness Magazine. Mix 2 cups of warm water, 1 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of lemon juice or vinegar. Stay healthy and make the best food choices for you and your family. Happy Shopping!!!

What Floats Your Oats

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast. I could eat breakfast for every meal. My favorite breakfast food is old-fashion oatmeal.  It is high in fiber, low in fat, and cheap. It is a healthy choice that keeps you full and fueled for several hours. But, there is one thing that puzzles me, why has McDonald's turned it into a sugared up, caloried up , put fat on your ass breakfast. McDonald's oatmeal has as much sugar as 32 bowls of instant oatmeal or 2 Starbucks caffe lattes. And this is a big one, it has as much sugar as 1 regular size snicker bar. The calories in McDonald's oatmeal = a six piece chicken nugget from Burger king. It also contains as much saturated fat as a white floured bagel. So,  lets just touch on saturated fats for a moment...a little education. Saturated fats are also known as the "bad fats". They come from animal sources and remain solid at room temperature. When a substance is said to be saturated, it contains all the material it is capable of holding. For example, a sponge is saturated with water when it holds all the water it can hold. So think of the sponge representing your thighs and water representing the saturated fat. You get the picture. Have you ever heard of sodium phosphate? It is used as a meat preservative. Oh, and its also 1 of the 21 ingredients in McDonald's oatmeal. The apple they use are of course packaged with calcium asorbate. This is a food additive to keep that apples fresh and maintain shelf life. It is also used in other packaged food for the same purpose.
So lets compare McDonald's oatmeal to Old-Fashion oatmeal. McDonald's oatmeal has 290 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 57 grams of carbohydrates, 160 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of saturated fat, and 32 grams of sugar. Old-Fashion oatmeal has 190, calories, 3 gram of fat, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 48 milligrams of sodium, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, and 1 gram of sugar.
There are healthier alternatives. Make your own. Try old-fashion or steel cut oatmeal cooked with plain or vanilla soy milk, fresh fruit, and and a little agave nectar or honey. This is delicious and a much healthier choice. With this being said...what floats your oats?