DO YOU WASH YOUR PEACHES AND CUCUMBERS?

For some of you this topic might be too simplistic or obvious, but I hope that for some of you it is something new and maybe even an eye-opening subject. 

We all eat fruit and vegetables. They are considered to be healthy and nutritious, rich in vitamins and minerals. They are recommended by dieticians and healthcare professionals.
They advise us to eat at least 5 different portions of fruit and veg every day. Some argue it should be even 7 portions. Others say it should be at least 10!  Let’s say you eat very healthily for most of the time; you buy loads of fruit and eat your produce daily, because it’s healthy, tasty or maybe you want to lose some weight and reduce other sugary products.

But…are you sure you eat them correctly??? Are you preparing your fruit properly before you consume it?

Do you know that most fruit and vegetables are sprayed with pesticides? Pesticides are usually chemical compounds that are used to protect produce from insects, weeds, fungi, larvae, bacteria and rodents.
Do you actually believe that so called safe chemicals are actually suitable for human health? Do you think that because they have been allowed by government, it means that they are safe and neutral for your health? Even our skin can absorb up to 60% of substances from the environment, such as creams, laundry liquids and powders. You might say, we all will die sooner or later, so there is no point to be bothered. Of course, we will die one day and it’s impossible to avoid all the diseases, illnesses and accidents, but we can significantly reduce intake of harmful substances and live in good health for longer. Unfortunately, we can’t avoid all the hazards and have to accept the fact that we still drink polluted water and breathe not so clear air.

Do you wash your melons and your carrots? 

Can you imagine how many people touched your watermelon before it landed on your kitchen top? Dirt? Dust? Fungi? Bacteria? You cut it in pieces on a nice, clean cutting board. It’s juice spreads over the melon’s skin and gets into the fruit flesh. It’s not appetizing at all and definitely is not doing you any favours. Eating grapes or strawberries straight from the package? I am just aware that people who were picking them might not have had the greatest hygiene habits. You can get e-coli bacteria from the soil attached to fruit or veg and according to the NHS website, it’s enough to use just water to get rid of it. Moreover, frozen strawberries can be contaminated with hepatitis A. Fruit with rough skin such as cantaloupe melons or avocados are serious sources of Listeria and other bacteria. That’s why soaking your fruit and veg in a bowl of water with added hydrogen peroxide or vinegar can help reduce the risks of food poisoning. Vinegar can kill E.coli and other gram-negative bacteria. Washing fresh produce can also remove residues of pesticides from their surface. Of course it will not take all the risks away completely, but eating clean fruit and vegetables will have more sense if you want to eat healthily.
What I really want to highlight it is the fact that we should always do our best to stay healthy for longer and take care of ourselves. If you think that using vinegar or hydrogen peroxide is unnecessary, just properly rinse all your fruit and veg under running water and give them a good scrub with a fruit brush. Just be careful with berries as they are quite soft, so I wouldn’t scrub them at all, unless you aim for a homemade strawberry jam!