Green Mothers Digest

According to the Environmental Working Group, the so-called dirty dozen of produce that experts recommend we buy organic, are indeed dirty: they contain between 47 and 67% of pesticides, a report showed that was aired on CNN today.  The reason for their toxicity is their soft skin which makes them penetrable to the chemicals.

The most vulnerable to pesticides are of course children, not only because they consume the most in relation to their body weight, but also because their brains are still growing.  According to the article on CNN, Dr. Philip Landrigan, chairman of the department of preventative medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, said: “A kid’s brain goes through extraordinary development, and if pesticides get into the brain, it can cause damage.”

And by the way, all the testing was conducted after the produce had been washed with high-pressure water.

Here are the lists:

The Dirty Dozen

Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Domestic blueberries
Nectarines
Sweet bell peppers
Spinach, kale and collard greens
Cherries
Potatoes
Imported grapes
Lettuce

The Clean 15

Onions
Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapples
Mango
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Cabbage
Eggplant
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet potatoes
Sweet onions
Kiwi

A study reveals that the empathy quotient among college students has been steadily declining since 1979, according to a meta study of  American college students.

They looked at 4 things: empathy, perspective taking, fantasy, and personal distress.  Interestingly, “only” empathy – the ability to feel another person’s distress, and perspective taking (looking at something from another’s point of view) have been declining, or is this my typical “half full glass” perspective talking?  Interestingly, even though the authors of the study wrote that what is partially to blame is “an overactive media that bombards people with violent, horrific images and gradually desensitizes them,” personal distress (how people feel when they see the misfortune of others) has not declined, which is actually what I would have expected.

Another culprit of this loss of empathy: too much emphasis on the S.E.L.F. – no surprise there – as well as, get this, the “growth of social media:

“With so much time spent interacting with others online and not in reality, interpersonal dynamics like empathy might certainly be altered. For example, perhaps it is easier to establish friends and relationships online, but these skills might not translate into smooth social relations in real life….”

Hmm.  Maybe they are onto something, maybe not.  The other day at the supermarket, my daughter and I became involved in one of those conversations with the cashier, and as we were walking toward the car, my daughter says to me, “I love talking to people I don’t know. “  “Right,” I said, “As opposed to the people we do know.”  I was being sarcastic, but maybe there is something to this thing of anonymity, and that it makes some things easier, and that somehow we are used to these kinds of interactions due to our online lives these days.

The only time I appreciated our outdoor gas grill was when after hurricane Wilma the electricity was out for two weeks, and we used the thing to prepare all our meals, including boiling water for coffee.

Aside from that, I have never seen much use in the grill.  Grilling seems to me one of those testosterone activities that guys get off on, but I could be wrong.  Perhaps there are plenty of avid female grillers out there; they just don’t hang out their shingle about it the way guys do. In any event, I have never met a single one in my entire life. Whatever.  My point is, grilling season, like it or not, is upon us again, with it comes the time for quick reminder why is a good reason to be weary of grilling, and that is of course that meat coming in close contact with high heat is not a good idea.

3 things happen when protein comes in contact with high heat.

1. Heterocyclic amines (HCA) form which  are the worst in the blackened parts of meat.  Cutting off those parts will not eliminate the toxins.  What you should do is never let your meat get singed.
2. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) which are created when fat drips onto the coals and creates vapors.  Cut off all the fatty parts, use lean meats, and use tongues to turn the meat, not forks which perforate the skin and release more juices that drip.
3. Advanced Glycation End Products (AGE). Another compound that forms when protein is cooked at high temperatures.

The best protection would be not to eat grilled meats at all, but if you absolutely must, use lean meats, cut off fats, reduce grilling time as much as possible by pre-cooking and/or cutting meat into smaller pieces, marinate the meat beforehand, and try to eat organic meats.  Processed meats like hotdogs are particularly problematic, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research, and the jury on chicken and turkey hotdog is still out.  While the meat itself is less unhealthy, the way in which it is processed is identical to beef hotdogs.

http://www.aicr.org/site/News2?abbr=pr_&page=NewsArticle&id=13394&news_iv_ctrl=1102

Please go to this link and sign the petition, and forward to everyone you know. This madness that is offshore drilling must stop. They now want to replicate this potentially disastrous practice off the shore of Alaska! Salazar is giving his “risk assessment” on May 28. We must let Washington know what we think about this risk. It is not a risk worth taking. Period.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/308/597/489

Well, my kids’ anyway…

Many things have happened since I last posted here, but a lot of things haven’t changed at all, unfortunately.  We are still fouling up our environment – the only one we’ve got – (see Gulf of Mexico), and, surprise, surprise, we are still teasing out the influence pesticides and other chemicals have on our children’s bodies and brains, as evidenced by a report last week that indicates what many parents have suspected for a long time: that pesticides may be partly reponsible for ADHD in kids. ” Children with higher-than-average levels of the most commonly detected byproduct — found in roughly 6 in 10 kids — were nearly twice as likely to have ADHD.” If  you bother to watch the video – the level of ignorance of the talking heads is a little depressing, I am sorry to say.  One of them calls the offending compound “organic phosphate.” Oy vey!  Also, don’t kid yourself – rinsing vegetables under running water, or brushing them without a cleaning product – does pretty much nothing.

The safest bet is still to buy organic.  Or should I say organo?  Phew….