Page 32 - LIN_December_2023_web_file

CLEAN

EATING

a Functional

Medical Doctor’s Perspective

by Svetlana Kogan, M.D.
n the last issue we talked about toxic Whatever produce you bring home, rinse it before use with a
chemicals making their way into the food reputable vegetable cleaner or simply mix clean warm water with
Iwe eat and today we will be going over baking soda or white vinegar (in a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 4 parts
useful tips on how to avoid being exposed to water), soak, and mildly agitate produce for 5 minutes, and then rinse
unwanted menace. Eating clean, organic food
with clean water. Sea salt can also be used as an abrasive agent to
and preparing it in a healthy manner is truly a
clean the skin of produce.
beacon of hope for those seeking a balanced and
Cooking clean is important too. I recommend steaming, baking,
nourishing lifestyle.
and broiling foods rather than frying or grilling at high heat. But
As a functional physician I always
recommend that my patients eat whole, even if you are “stuck” with grilling, there are some tricks to lessen the
unprocessed foods encompassing an array of all biochemical damage to the food which grilling process induces:
colors – red, green, blue/purple, orange, white, brown, and yellow. Trimming excess fat off meat and removing the skin off chicken
This way we will benefit from the phytonutrients contained in the and fish before grilling can reduce the total concentration of
produce and they are wonderful antioxidants which help us with chemicals in grilled animal foods.
balancing all our organ systems. To avoid the pesticide/herbicide The application of oregano, rosemary, and black pepper during
load in the produce, let’s look at the recommendations from the cooking may help with limiting of some of the toxic chemicals
environmental working group - EWG for this year. They have
induced by grilling.
identified produce with the highest content of chemical exposure
Avoid using plastic utensils or storage containers, as they may be
and residue – a so-called Dirty Dozen – and I recommend that you
filled with undisclosed chemicals which can leach into the food. The
try to buy these organic:
• Strawberries safest choices for food storage are glass and stainless-steel containers.
• Spinach As far as my beloved seafood, even though almost all seafood
• Kale, Collard and Mustard Greens contains pollutants in varying amounts, there are tricks to minimize
• Peaches the exposure to mercury, PCBs, and microplastics:
• Pears Avoid eating very large fish, like tuna, swordfish, tilefish, shark, and
• Nectarines mahi mahi, as they have the highest concentration of mercury.
• Apples By cutting away the skin before cooking fish and by steaming,
• Grapes broiling, or baking it (as opposed to grilling or frying) – exposure to
• Bell and Hot Peppers
• Cherries these chemicals can be reduced.
• Blueberries Avoid farm-raised fish, as it contains large amounts of harmful
• Green Beans contaminants due to the feed used in raising them. According to
testing by independent groups, farmed salmon contains 5-10 times
EWG has also identified the so-called Clean Fifteen –
a group of produce that has had the least chemical exposure. If you the PCB level of wild salmon. So, choose fish that are wild caught.
are unable to buy all organic, these would be the foods that do not Being mindful and eating clean is more than a culinary choice;
require as much vigilance at this time, and not organic would suffice: it's a way of life that promotes well-being and environmental
• Avocados • Kiwi sustainability. It's about making informed decisions, connecting
• Sweet Corn • Cabbage with nature, and nurturing your body with the best that the Earth
• Pineapples • Mushrooms has to offer. So, the next time you're in the kitchen, think of it as an
• Onions • Mangoes opportunity to create a masterpiece of health and flavor, one healthy
• Papaya • Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet Peas (frozen) • Watermelon ingredient at a time. Your body will thank you for it.
• Asparagus • Carrots The author of ‘Diet Slave No More!’, Svetlana Kogan, MD is a
• Honeydew Melon Board-Certified Internal Medicine, Holistic & Functional Medical Doctor
The above lists are updated yearly so check out the EWG website with 25 years of experience. Her website is CustomLongevity.com
and apps for updated info. Office Phone: 239-676-6883
32 32 Life in Naples | December 2023