Eat lots of Fruits and Veggies as your complex carbs

Basic Eat Clean Principle #5

Depend on fruits and veggies for complex carbs, enzymes and fiber. 
Look how pretty that picture is.  That should be the color you see in your fridge and in your fruit basket.  You know what they say..eat a rainbow!!
It's hard to get 5 servings of those in per day.  But it's essential for a body to function properly.  If you follow the eat clean rules and eat one of these every 2-3 hours, it's not so hard. Get inventive..make a smoothie, put them in a whole wheat bread or muffin, sneak some carrots in to a delicious baked ziti recipe or something.  Cut up some fresh fruits and veggies in containers and put them in the fridge.
So how do you accomplish this you say, unless you are just at home all the time?? Well, we are never home and this is how we do it...


My Thirty-one thermal tote..one of my best friends

 I pack this baby with baggies of pre-cut apples, strawberries, raspberries, oranges peeled, nuts, organic string cheese, vitamin water and more.. I stick a little blue pack down in with it and we are good to go....

So here is the next question..

organic or not on all fruits and veggies?



The benefits of eating organic food are that there are no pesticides and chemical fertilizers used to grow the organic produce.

And not all the pesticides used to kill bugs, grubs, or fungus on the farm washes off under the tap at home. Government tests show which fruits and vegetables, prepared typically at home, still have a pesticide residue.
Organic can be expensive.  Some food contain more pesticides than others.  If you buy from the farmer's market locally, you can talk to the farmer and some are not "certified organic" but they don't use pesticides. To get the "organic certification" the field's have to be organic for a certain number of years before they reach the qualifications.  But lots of local farmers are cutting down, just ask. 
There are several foods if you buy organic, that you should try to if you can afford it.  See the list of the dirty dozen below.

What's the big deal with Pesticides:   Click here to find out more on my post from that.

1. Celery
Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals (64 of them!) that are used on crops. Buy organic celery, or choose alternatives like broccoli, radishes, and onions.
2. Peaches
Multiple pesticides (as many as 62 of them) are regularly applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, tangerines, oranges, and grapefruit.
3. Strawberries
If you buy strawberries, especially out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that have less-stringent regulations for pesticide use. 59 pesticides have been detected in residue on strawberries. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and pineapples.
4. Apples
Like peaches, apples are typically grown with poisons to kill a variety of pests, from fungi to insects. Tests have found 42 different pesticides as residue on apples. Scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely, so it's best to buy organic when it comes to apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, bananas, and tangerines.
5. Blueberries
New on the Dirty Dozen list in 2010, blueberries are treated with as many as 52 pesticides, making them one of the dirtiest berries on the market.
6. Nectarines
With 33 different types of pesticides found on nectarines, they rank up there with apples and peaches among the dirtiest tree fruit. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include, watermelon, papaya, and mango.
7. Bell peppers
Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They're often heavily sprayed with insecticides. (Tests have found 49 different pesticides on sweet bell peppers.) Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include green peas, broccoli, and cabbage.
8. Spinach
New on the list for 2010, spinach can be laced with as many as 48 different pesticides, making it one of the most contaminated green leafy vegetable.
9. Kale
Traditionally, kale is known as a hardier vegetable that rarely suffers from pests and disease, but it was found to have high amounts of pesticide residue when tested this year. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include cabbage, asparagus, and broccoli.
10. Cherries
Even locally grown cherries are not necessarily safe. In fact, in one survey in recent years, cherries grown in the U.S. were found to have three times more pesticide residue then imported cherries. Government testing has found 42 different pesticides on cherries. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include raspberries and cranberries.
11. Potatoes
America's popular spud reappears on the 2010 Dirty Dozen list, after a year hiatus. America's favorite vegetable can be laced with as many as 37 different pesticides. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include eggplant, cabbage, and earthy mushrooms.
12. Grapes
Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Only imported grapes make the 2010 Dirty Dozen list. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's thin skin. Remember, wine is made from grapes, which testing shows can harbor as many as 34 different pesticides. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and raspberries.


For more info go tohttp://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20110613/apples-top-12-foods-with-most-pesticides