Third Excuse: Most fresh fruits and vegetables are exposed to pesticides and other harmful chemicals and treatments.

Bust the Excuse: There are debates continuing on the topic of whether or not there are real dangers associated with using pesticides when treating our fresh foods. The FDA is extremely strict when it comes to their regulation of pesticides. You could also consider buying organic fruits and vegetables which means that there are no pesticides that are being used at all on the food items that you are buying.

Most health authorities are currently reporting that the health benefits that are associated with eating fruits and vegetables are going to far outweigh any concerns that are associated with the use of pesticides. If you are still skeptical, there are a number of things that you can do to lessen the risk of exposure to the potentially harmful effects of pesticides.

For example, you can wash your produce using warm water and without using any soap. Use a clean dish brush and scrub your fruits and vegetables well. This is especially important if you plan on eating the outer skin of the fruit, which is the case with potatoes, apples, pears and cucumbers for example.

If you are dealing with leafy vegetables, which tend to be dirty on the outside, then discard the very outer leaves. Two examples of green leafy vegetables that can be dirty on the outside are cabbage and lettuce. You can also peel and cook the foods when appropriate to lessen the potential exposure. You may lose some of the fiber and the nutrients packed into the fruit or vegetable in the process but it may be worthwhile for some peace of mind.

Fourth Excuse: Vitamins are lost easily when the fruits and vegetables are cooked.

Bust the Excuse: It is definitely true that vitamins are capable of breaking down in the heat and in the air. The longer that you cook them for and the hotter that you cook them for, the more nutrients you are likely to lose in the process. There are simple and straight forward ways that you can avoid the major loss of vitamins when it comes to the preparation of fruits and vegetables. The most obvious method of course is going to be to eat the vegetables and fruits in their raw state as often as you can.

You should always cook only until they are tender and crisp. This is known as al dente. A crisper vegetable or crisper fruit is going to maintain significantly more nutrients then if the fruit or vegetable were made mushy. You should also use as little water as you possibly can, which is going to reduce the ability for the vitamins and minerals to dissolve. You should also try to use large pieces rather than small cut up ones, because minimizing the exposed surface will minimize how many vitamins and minerals are lost during the preparation phase.

Photo Credits: caribb

Originally posted 2009-08-28 03:47:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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