How to Eat Clean

Written By Becky Russell

What Does Organic Mean?

Organically-grown foods are not treated with synthetic pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, or sewage sludge for at least three years before harvest to qualify as USDA Organic. Guidelines address soil quality, pest and weed control, and use of additives in foods. Organic farmers rely on natural substances, and physical, mechanical, and biologically based farming methods. For organic meat, animals are raised without hormones or antibiotics, are fed 100% organically grown feed or forage, are supposed to be raised in living conditions that accommodate their natural behaviors, such as grazing on pasture (unfortunately, many large corporations are keeping animals confined and only feeding them organic feed with no hormones or antibiotics). Organically processed foods can’t contain artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. Products sold as organic must have at least 95% certified organic content (exceptions being additives like baking soda, pectin, or enzymes). Products saying “made with” organic must have at least 70% organic ingredients and can’t use the USDA organic seal. There also are some USDA accredited organic certifiers such as OCIA International and others who have stricter standards than USDA. However, be aware that imported foods labeled as organic are often not subjected to USDA inspections and U.S. farmers can’t compete with their prices. Buy domestically-produced organic foods whenever possible. Also avoid highly processed foods that are designated as organic. Being grown organically doesn’t undo the harm caused by processing!

Is it better? Organic farming is better for the environment, is more sustainable, doesn’t use genetically modified organisms or expose food to radiation. Organic foods have lower levels of pesticide residues, heavy metals, higher in antioxidants, and may have higher mineral and vitamin content, depending on the soil it was grown in. Organic meat, dairy, and eggs are higher in omega-3 fatty acids, does not have antibiotics and hormones, and the animals might be treated better.

Regenerative agriculture goes beyond organic, incorporating principles that were implied in the original meaning of organic before agribusiness got involved. Regenerative farming and ranching places priority on restoration of degraded soil, as well as promoting biodiversity and ecological balance. It recognizes that farming has to be viewed as part of an ecological system. Biodynamic agriculture is a similar holistic concept of the farm as a self-contained living organism.

If organic produce is hard for you to afford on a regular basis, get acquainted with the Dirty Dozen put out by Environmental Working Group (EWG). Every year they test produce and update the most heavily sprayed fruits and vegetables called the Dirty Dozen. Try to prioritize getting these foods as organic. The Dirty Dozen for 2024 are:

  1. Strawberries

  2. Spinach

  3. Kale, collards, and mustard greens

  4. Grapes

  5. Peaches

  6. Pears

  7. Nectarines

  8. Apples

  9. Bell and hot peppers

  10. Cherries

  11. Blueberries

  12. Green beans

However, if organic is not available or affordable, the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables may outweigh the risks of conventionally-grown produce, because the nutrients help you detoxify the chemicals you get exposed to. You can reduce pesticides on produce by soaking it for 15 minutes in a solution of 2 tsp baking soda per quart of water. Children and infants are more vulnerable to the effects of pesticides and herbicides (especially with fruit juices). People with cancer or neurological diseases should take extra care to get organic foods.

Grass-fed and Pasture-raised

Most cattle, pigs, and poultry are raised in concentrated animal feeding operations or CAFO, where they are kept indoors and fed an unnatural diet primarily of corn and soybeans, with hormones and antibiotics. Cattle are ruminants and are meant to eat grass, not grain. The diet makes them sick, and they live in dense populations in feedlots filled with feces. Hogs live in aluminum sheds on top of manure pits, and chickens are raised in huge factories in cramped cages. The antibiotics keep them alive long enough to fatten them up before slaughter, but the animals become breeding grounds for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is a threat to humans. The meat, milk, and eggs from these animals easily becomes contaminated with E. coli and Salmonella because of the filthy conditions they have to live in. Because of being fed grain, primarily GMO corn and soybeans, meat, milk, and eggs from these animals are high in omega-6 fats and make a substantial contribution to the excessive omega-6 in the American diet (however, the biggest source is seed oils). Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) is used to increase milk production, and this can interfere with human hormones. This and hormone treated beef are banned in Europe and some other countries.

Feeding animals commodity corn and soybeans has been one of the ways to to dispose of an excess of these crops produced by American farmers, grown with petroleum-based fertilizers and pesticides. The farmers aren’t able to make a profit from their crops because government subsidies have been driving the prices down, so family farms have been disappearing for decades. Consumers of the animal foods and processed foods from the industrialized food system end up paying with their health. The only ones that benefit are a handful of giant corporations, such as Cargill and ADM, that buy and process the corn and soybeans.

However, it’s possible to bypass this system by buying meat, poultry, eggs, and milk that are pasture-raised, grass-fed, and organic. Pasture raised refers to the animals spending some portion of their lives outdoors grazing on pasture, but may receive supplemental feed, and possibly antibiotics or hormones. Grass-fed refers to only being fed grass, hay, or forage after weaning. If certified by the American Grass-fed Association they also cannot be treated with hormones or antibiotics and must be born and raised on American family farms. The best standard is both organic and grass-fed. Grass-fed and pasture raised meat, poultry, eggs, and milk has superior nutritional value, with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), higher values of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals than CFO animals.

Beware of Fake Meats

The inhumane and unsanitary conditions animals are raised in, and the poor nutritional value of CAFO animal foods has driven many people to become vegetarian or vegan. While it is possible to be healthy on a vegetarian diet consisting of natural unprocessed foods including milk products and/or eggs, there are no healthy human populations that have ever lived on vegan diets generation after generation. Many people trying vegetarian or vegan diets turn to meat substitutes, often made from soy and other processed foods. They are promoted as being healthier “plant-based meat.” However, whether it is meat replacements made from plant foods or cultured meat grown in a lab, these are not nutritionally equivalent to meat and are ultraprocessed foods. The meat replacements are often made with textured soy protein (often GMO), seed oils, and many other additives. Despite the claims that no animal were killed to create cultured meat, this is not true because animal cells are grown in a solution of fetal bovine serum derived from pregnant cows slaughtered to obtain blood from the fetus. To make the cultures grow and keep dividing, immortalized cells are used, which are actually cancerous. The culturing process produces toxic biowaste, and uses sugars and fats from GMO corn and soy produced with herbicides and pesticides. Meat substitutes are not environmentally friendly at all and not healthy food.

Wild-Caught and Farm-raised Fish

Wild-caught fish eat a varied diet of algae, plankton, crustaceans, and smaller fish, while farm raised fish eat processed food consisting of fish byproducts, cornmeal, canola meal, wheat, animal byproducts, and vegetable oil. Wild-caught fish is higher in omega-3 fatty acids, while farm-raised is higher in omega-6. Americans have a diet that has a ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 of 20:1 and it should be about 2:1 for good health. Since fish is the main source of omega-3, it pays to eat wild-caught. Farm raised fish are kept in crowded conditions, leading to disease and heavy use of antibiotics, which may be unregulated in fish farms. Farm raised salmon lacks the vibrant pink or red color, and are fed color additives. Both farm-raised and wild caught fish could contain mercury and PCBs, depending on the size, the species, and the diet of farm raised fish. Large fish that is higher on the food chain has more mercury. Avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, marlin, tilefish, and some species of tuna. Skipjack tuna has the least mercury and albacore has the most. Yellowfin is moderately low. The countries with the strictest regulations and sustainable fishing practices are Norway, followed by Iceland, and United States. Asian countries are the worst. Check for country of origin when buying fish.

Local Farms and Gardens

Produce can be shipped 1500-3000 miles or more before it gets to you, and lose nutrients during shipping. Buy from local farms and farmers markets whenever possible, especially if they are organic farms, to get the freshest produce. Ask the farmer about his growing practices and if he uses GMO seeds. Grow your own if possible. You can grow a good variety of vegetables in a small space or in containers. You can grow sprouts and micro greens indoors. You can find local farms, ranches, and other resources for obtaining real, fresh food from https://www.mercola.com/article/ agriculture.htm.

Clean Cooking

Avoid aluminum cookware, especially for acidic foods. Aluminum is linked with Alzheimer’s disease. Teflon coated pans used to contain perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOAs. That has been banned, but if you have old Teflon pans get rid of them. However, the nonstick pans now in use can release large numbers of micro plastics and nanoplastics. Use stainless steel, glass, and ceramic cookware to be safe.

Eating Out

The most important thing you can do when eating out is avoiding deep-fried food. Most restaurants use canola and other seed oils extensively, which is bad enough, but restaurants reuse frying oils, perhaps only changing it twice per week or less often. Toxic compounds are created when oils are heated to high temperatures—especially polyunsaturated fats found in seed oils. Recent research has found that re-used oil damages the communication network between the liver, gut, and brain, leading to neurodegeneration and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Animal studies show that prolonged consumption can even increase neurodegeneration in offspring.

More expensive restaurants might use olive oil, and you can try requesting it for salads and real butter for cooking. Avoid the fast food chains—their foods are ultraprocessed, full of sugar, industrial seed oils, and chemicals. While more expensive, farm-to-table restaurants obtain fresh food from local farms and have much better quality food. Eating out is getting quite expensive. Save your money and do most of your own cooking if you want to stay healthy or get healthier. That way you have control over what you are eating. Reserve eating out for special occasions at good restaurants.

Reducing the Impact of Toxins with Nutrition

Many nutrients are involved in keeping the liver’s detoxification pathways working smoothly, and herbs and spices also can assist that process. The liver has what are called Phase I and Phase II detoxification pathways. All substances, including chemicals, drugs, alcohol, hormones, microbial toxins, and carcinogens are converted into water, oxygen, and substances that can be eliminated through bile and excreted from the bowel, or sent to the kidneys and eliminated in urine.

Foods that are especially good to aid in these processes are cruciferous vegetables, which include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, kale, collard greens, and turnips. Citrus fruits are very good, especially the peel (you can grate lemon and orange peel to add to foods or teas, but make sure it’s organic). Grapes, berries, asparagus, artichokes, beets, carrots, green tea, and chocolate (70% or greater cocoa content or cocoa powder) contain powerful antioxidants and other plant compounds that help the liver. Brazil nuts are high in selenium, which helps the liver produce glutathione, which is the body’s most important antioxidant. B vitamins, foods high in the mineral sulfur (such as cruciferous vegetables, garlic, onions, and eggs), and amino acids in protein foods play very important roles in detoxification. Many herbs and spices aid detoxification.

Some may be in your kitchen cabinet or garden, such rosemary, thyme, basil, caraway, cardamon, cloves, coriander, dill, and ginger. You might have heard of turmeric (or curcumin, an important component of turmeric) as being good for inflammation, but it also is a detoxification powerhouse for the liver. Milk thistle is available as a supplement that is a premier herb for protecting the liver and reducing elevated liver enzymes. It even can prevent liver damage from poisonous mushrooms.

In summary, the message is simple. Eat real food, eat fresh food, and stay away from processed food. Use the power of nature to get well and be well.

References

Becky Russell
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Toxins in Our Food