today's problem: dirty produce

it is december and organic, local fresh fruit and vegetable selections have dwindled with the impending cold weather. a lot of produce currently in the market has been conventionally grown with pesticides and/or imported and grown using who know what! the environmental working group updated its shopper's guide to pesticides in produce this past summer to let consumers know which fruits and vegetables have the most-and the least-pesticide residues. apples are prolific now-and lead the contaminated list-so it is best to buy apples that have been organically grown because pesticides have been linked to a variety of health problems. peeling your conventionally grown root crops will remove some pesticide residues, as will trimming the outer leaves of lettuce, cabbage and other leafy greens. a water rinse will sort of wash off some of the toxins, but i clean my produce in water combined with a little vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to actually get rid of the poisons. it is also important to remember that many organic fruit and vegetables have been grown using manure and this too must be eliminated before eating: not just rinsed off! be healthy: wash your veggies then eat them!