Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 Shopping List

Living with fibromyalgia or any chronic illness means trying to avoid toxins in order to keep your toxic load to a minimum, therefore, helping reduce your symptoms, whether that be chronic pain, chronic fatigue, insomnia, stiffness, mental health struggles, etc.

One way to do this, is by looking at the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 produce list each year, and if possible, purchasing your produce from the dirty dozen list organic to avoid pesticide exposure.

A recent small shopping trip: organic strawberries, apples and celery (celery is usually on the dirty dozen list), non-organic avocado and pineapple.

Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) analyzes the most recent data, and lists the fruits and vegetables that are grown with the most and least amount of pesticides.

Let’s talk about glyphosate quickly: Glyphosate is the active ingredient in one of the most heavily used herbicides in the world, Monsanto’s Roundup. By interfering with the biochemistry of bacteria in our GI tract, consumption of glyphosate depletes essential amino acids tyrosine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine, which are important for our brain’s neurotransmitters.

A study examining the effect of glyphosate on bacteria that grow in the GI tract of chickens found that beneficial bacteria were susceptible, and harmful bacteria were resistant, to glyphosate. The growth of four types of beneficial bacteria—Lactobacillus, Bacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Enterococcus—was reduced at low concentrations of glyphosate. A good reason for growing your own produce, buying organic, washing your produce before consuming, and taking your probiotics daily.

You’ll notice most foods on the clean 15 list have a hard skin protecting the flesh, but if possible, it may be helpful to wash before eating just to get rid of any pesticide residue. For example, I wash my avocados.

2023 Dirty Dozen:

1. Strawberries

2. Spinach

3. Kale, collard and mustard greens

4. Peaches

5. Pears

6. Nectarines

7. Apples

8. Grapes

9. Bell and Hot Peppers

10. Cherries

11. Blueberries

12. Green beans

2023 Clean 15:

1. Avocados

2. Sweet corn

3. Pineapple

4. Onions

5. Papaya

6. Sweet peas (frozen)

7. Asparagus

8. Honeydew melon

9. Kiwi

10. Cabbage

11. Mushrooms

12. Mangoes

13. Sweet potatoes (I buy organic because they tend to be richer in flavour)

14. Watermelon

15. Carrots

Save this list or print it for your next shopping trip!

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Cheers to finally feeling good!

xo,

Alexis, The Nutritionist Mama

*Disclaimer - this is my own personal experience and not medical advice.