Pesticides

There are over 7000 registered pesticides for use in Australia - how scary is that? Many have not been tested for long term effects on health either which is even more scary.  It's virtually impossible to wash all of the pesticides off your fresh produce unfortunately so if you can make even a small change and buy just one item organic (mine is apples) that would make a big difference. Basically leafy greens, produce with edible skin and soft fleshed produce are the top of the list for buying organic as these soak up the pesticides more and have been found to have the most residue on them. If you simply can't afford to buy organic then perhaps you could try growing one or two items yourself a go. You don't even need to have a garden as many things can be grown in pots and there's lots of varieties of dwarf trees (we have a Pinkabelle apple tree). An added bonus is that gardening is a great activity for the kiddies to get involved in, they have so much fun 'helping'.

These are the worst offenders for pesticide residue:

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries 
Peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries
Carrots
Apples
Spinach
Nectarines
Capsicums
Lettuce, spinach 
Pears
Tomatoes
Grapes
Celery
Pears
Leafy herbs

Thick skinned produce and things like bananas where you have to peel the skin seem to be more resilient against the nasties.

Remember to wash all produce really well. Here is a fruit and veg wash that will help remove more of the residue from your produce than just water alone. .
Mix the juice of one lemon, 2 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar, and one cup of tap water.

This mixture can be put into a spray bottle and sprayed onto fruit and vegetables before rinsing in water and preparing to be eaten.

I'm thinking of doing a weekly challenge for myself to make one small change in my home which will make a big difference. I'll keep you posted :)