Anita’s Healthy Tips
Holistic nutrition is especially important during the summer months, when lighter meals and fresh produce take center stage. While most of us now have air conditioning, many still remember sleeping on sticky sheets with just a fan in the window—which never really worked! When it’s hot, who wants to turn on the oven or stove? Now’s the perfect time to lean into no-cook recipes.
Salads of all kinds—green salads, fruit salads, raw kale salads, gazpacho soups, cold cucumber or melon soups, and caprese salad—taste great and won’t heat up the kitchen.
Know Your Fruits and Veggies: The “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean 15”
This week’s healthy tip supports a holistic nutrition approach with a closer look at what’s going into those colorful fruit salads we enjoy all summer long.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., works “to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment.” Each year, they release the Dirty Dozen, a list of fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide residue. The Clean Fifteen, by contrast, highlights produce with the lowest levels.
Check out the full list here: Apples Top EWG’s Dirty Dozen | Environmental Working Group
In 2012, the Academy of Pediatrics warned of the risks pesticides pose to children—something the EWG has long emphasized. One concern is the synergistic effect of multiple pesticides used at once, which may be more harmful than exposure to just one. According to the CDC, the U.S. uses 2 billion pounds of pesticides annually across agriculture and the environment.
Use the EWG list to build a low pesticide-residue salad that supports your health naturally.
A Blood Sugar Tip You Shouldn’t Skip
No holistic nutrition tip would be complete without mentioning blood sugar.
While summer fruits are a delicious seasonal treat, it’s best not to eat them on their own. Doing so can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar and insulin, raising the risk of insulin resistance and Type II diabetes.
A better option: pair fruit with a handful of nuts or a small piece of cheese. The added fat and protein help slow sugar absorption, supporting more stable energy and metabolism.
To take a deeper dive into how holistic nutrition can support your health, call our office at 202-237-7000 ext 0 to schedule with one of our integrative doctors.
