2022 Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen
Hi guys, Gaby again! Today we’re are diving off the deep end into the world of gut and digestive health so lets get this shit started…
For those who don’t follow me on Instagram here is a little backstory… in Jan 2021 I began a journey to discover what the heck was wrong with my digestive system. My entire life I suffered from severe digestive problems but I just thought it was normal honestly. As time went on my symptoms got so severe I realized I had to try to figure out what was happening and why. I’ll do a whole other blog post on this because I honestly think it’s something A LOT of people need to talk about more.
When I first began looking into how to improve my gut health and digestion I started where I think we all do… Google. I began looking into different foods and diets that would possibly help my situation but with so much contradictory information out there I was overwhelmed and honestly just confused. Some people say you have to be vegan, or you have to eat just meat, others say you have to drink your body weight in celery juice every single day. I was desperate to improve my condition but was hoping for a little less restrictive approach. I had already begun to remove all the processed foods from my diet (which had a massive effect) but I was still experiencing some unpleasant symptoms. (My symptoms were constipation, diarrhea, severe bloating, abdominal pain, brain fog, depression, anxiety and mood swings)
Somehow my search led me to learning about all the toxins that can be found in our food and how that can have seriously negative effects on gut health. And I’m not talking about the usual suspects that come in boxes or bags. I’m talking about good ole FRUITS and VEGGIES… the foods every kid in America is told to eat if they want to be healthy. So even though I was eating all “healthy” whole foods I was still having issues because of the slew of toxic fertilizers and pesticides that are sprayed on those whole foods and on the soil.
This is when the term “Organic” entered the chat. Now, I know what you’re thinking organic is just another BS marketing term used to charge an extra $4 for an avocado and I hear you. I have always been skeptical about any food label, also it can be freaking expensive!! I kept researching and stumbled upon the EWG Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen Lists - which I had never heard of until this point.
Here is a little info from their website:
“The guide is based on test results by the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration of around 45,000 samples of produce. It is important to note that the samples are tested for pesticides after they have been prepared to be eaten. This means the produce has been thoroughly washed and, when applicable, peeled. After these preparations, pesticide residues are still detected on many of the fruits and veggies.” Source: EWG website
A little frightening but also super enlightening to me who only ever thought “organic” was just another marketing buzz word. Now to be clear organic produce is not pesticide-free. There are pesticides used in organic farming, but they're derived from natural substances rather than synthetic ones. I think this is a common misconception when it comes to the term organic and because we rely so much on commercial farming more than ever it’s so important as consumers to know what we are actually buying. With all that being said here are the 2022 lists for Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen for organic produce…
Dirty Dozen
(Buy organic or avoid)
Strawberries
Spinach
Kale, collard and mustard greens
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Bell and hot peppers
Cherries
Peaches
Pears
Celery
Tomatoes
Clean Fifteen
(Ok to buy non-organic)
Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapple
Onions
Papaya
Sweet peas (frozen)
Asparagus
Honeydew melon
Kiwi
Cabbage
Mushrooms
Cantaloupe
Mangoes
Watermelon
Sweet Potatoes
I found these lists to be super helpful when making decisions on what to buy organic and what not to, and I wanted to share them with anyone who is working to improve their digestion/gut health or just wants to be able to reduce their exposure to toxins in general.
Eating healthy does not have to be overwhelming, and to make it even easier, I created a simple PDF you can download (for free) print out and hang on your fridge or save to your phone so when you’re at the grocery store you don’t have to go searching the internet to figure out what produce to buy organic or non-organic. Use this guide to make the best health decisions for you and your family.
- Gaby
