Why Organic is Better for Your Body, Mind and Soup! Part 2:
You may be wondering if the cooking process will ‘burn off the toxins’? Unfortunately no, it does not. It may only diminish them. So it is so important that if you are not eating organic fruits and vegetables that you wash them well before cooking them. I like to use a 1:1 white vinegar to water solution and when necessary a little scrub brush.
That said, even if you are eating organic, it is still important to wash your fruits and veggies before consuming them. Just because it’s organic doesn’t mean that pesticides weren’t used, it only means that the pesticides that might have been used were derived from natural sources and are not synthetically manufactured. In the interest of full disclosure, little is known about the full effects of organic pesticides as researchers haven’t bothered to study it. It has just been assumed that ‘natural’ chemicals are automatically safe. Furthermore, no one in the industry would benefit from having more attention drawn to pesticide use, organic or not, or the effects of using it. So it remains unknown and it seems that only time will tell.
It is important to note that while some organic farms do use mechanical and cultural tools to help control pests (including insect traps, disease resistant crop varieties, and biological control like predator insects), there is no way to know what method was used without going straight to the source. This is a great argument for shopping locally and from getting to know and supporting local farms.
