Why 'Low Fat' Diets Caused Today's Obesity Crisis?

Buying Organic is generally more expensive, so at EasyFit we have chosen the products we believe are worth the extra money.

These foods come with the heaviest burden of pesticides, additives and hormones. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), consumers can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80% by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating only the cleanest. If consumers get their government recommended 5 daily servings of fruits and veggies from the 15 most contaminated, they could consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Those who eat the 15 least contaminated conventionally grown produce ingest less than 2 pesticides daily.

1) Meat

For overall environmental impact, meat is the king of foods, even if it's not the most likely to have pesticide residue.

Contrary to what you may have read elsewhere, meat typically contains less pesticide residue than plant-based foods, according to Debra Edwards, the director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Pesticide Programs. But raising animals with conventional modern methods often means using hormones to speed up growth, antibiotics to resist disease on crowded feed lots, and both pesticides and chemical fertilizers to grow the grain fed to the animals. Additionally, it takes many times the water and energy to raise one meal's worth of meat than it does one meal's worth of grain.

Consumers looking to avoid meats raised with these substances can seek out certified organic meat. To meet certified standards, this meat can come only from animals fed organic feed and given no hormones or antibiotics. Searching out cuts from grass-fed animals ensures that you're eating meat from an animal that was fed a more natural diet, and looking for a local source of meats lets you question the farmer directly about the animal's diet and the farmer's method of raising it. It cuts down on the environmental cost of transportation, too.

2) Chicken

Organic birds spend far more time outside than free-range, live longer (without hormones to speed up their growth) and have higher quality, leaner meat.

We’ve all seen the documentaries, organic chicken should be at the top of your shopping list.

3) Milk and Butter

Pesticides and other man-made chemicals have been found in human breast milk, so it should come as no surprise that they have been found in dairy products, too. While any residues detected have been rare, and of low concentration, milk is of special concern because it is typically a staple of a child's diets.

Organic dairies cannot feed their cows with grains grown with pesticides, nor can they use antibiotics or growth hormones. The milk has been found to contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and anti-oxidants. The overall impact of the herd is lessened when you choose organic milk.

4) Coffee

Many of the beans you buy are grown in countries that don't regulate use of chemicals and pesticides. Look for the Organic label to ensure you're not buying beans that have been grown or processed with the use of potentially harmful chemicals.

Go a step or two further, and look for the Fair Trade Certified label to ensure that your purchase supports farmers who are paid fairly and treated well. If you’re really pushing the boat out, look for shade-grown varieties: Then you know the coffee is being grown under the canopy of the rainforest, leaving those ancient trees intact, along with the wildlife.

5) Strawberries

If you buy strawberries out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that use less-stringent regulations for pesticide use.

Ideally strawberries should only be bought in season from a local farmshop.

Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include blueberries, kiwi and pineapples.

6) Lettuce

Leafy greens are frequently contaminated with what are considered the most potent pesticides used on food.

Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

7) Grapes

Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's thin skin.

Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include blueberries, kiwi and raspberries.

8) Carrots

In Europe pesticides commonly used on carrots, parsnips and onions will be banned within the next decade. Until then, organic is the way to go with carrots.

Additionally, scientists have found up to 40% more vitamin C in organic carrots.

It is still better to buy British than imported organic though.

9) Tomatoes

A decade-long study in California comparing organic and non-organic tomatoes found twice as many antioxidants in the organic ones and their level of flavanoids – which can reduce the risk of cancer – were 80% higher too.

10) Stone Fruit

There were 26 different types of pesticides found on tested nectarines! Nectarines, peaches and plums are typically grown with the use of poisons to kill a variety of pests, from fungi to insects. Due to their thin skin, these pesticides are readily absorbed so it's best to buy organic when it comes to stone fruit. Peeling a fruit or vegetable is not the solution as this strips away many of their beneficial nutrients.