Bitter Taste on Vegetables. Pesticides maybe?

[Karl]

I've been trying to eat better lately by eating more vegetables. This is being a bit problematic though because it seems like half of the vegetables I eat have a bitter chemically taste when eatten raw and I get a headache if my stomache was empty prior to eating them.

I've noticed I don't have this problem with mushrooms, or carrots (maybe because carrots are root vegetables?).

When eating tomatoes and lettuce there is a slight taste but not nearly as pronounced as others.

Does anyone know if there is a scientific/realistic basis for what I'm experiencing or do broccoli and celery just taste like that?

Also if this is real does anyone have experience with a way to remove that bad tasting s***?

Also I just googled this vegetable wash, I should probably google before making posts:
https://www.google.it/#output=search&scl...60&bih=637
http://www.naturalnews.com/028277_pestic...oduce.html

If anyone has any tips I'd appreciate it. Eventually I'm going to try to get into sprouting too to boost my plant intake.

EDIT: Also I found this, it's a list of cleanest/dirtiest vegetable: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

[Ruth]

I soak veggies in water with raw cider vinegar when I get home from the grocer. I even soak many organic items like apples, pears, and greens. Then rinse, dry and store. I have also used a peroxide/water soak when bringing things in from my garden.

Have also used an organic soap purchased from the health food store, but it is expensive.

[Peregrinus]

The taste you are experiencing is only partially the pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides on your fruits/vegetables. You see, the manufacturers of these toxic products would be scoffed at if their products washed away as soon as the rain came after spraying, which of course is highly unpredictable at times.

Therefore, they use a petroleum (oil) based solution which sticks to the fruit/vegetable, as well as sealing it and making it toxic. This is often noted as a very fine "wax" which will be seen (only) if a knife is used to gently scrape the fruit/vegetables, being that it is very thin. It is this that reduces the flavor of non-organic foods. It doesn't actually reduce the flavor... it is simply the predominant taste.

Use of high pH solution will remove this, such as Kangen water, and no I'm not a re-seller. Although I've used commercial "fruit veggie cleaners, I found them absolutely ineffective at removing this waxy coating. Other means are varied, but knowledge is key in selection of the fruit/veggies, in advance.

That's why I recommend you check out http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/ for the latest scientific analysis of fruits/vegetables.

On a personal note, I usually can't taste much of a difference, but one time after a two week fast I had a non-organic watermelon... I almost threw up it tasted of metal so much. I eat about 90% organic.

[Monica]

Yes, that is the pesticides. They have a very bitter flavor and are very, very toxic. Anything that can kill a bug can kill a human; it just takes longer and more of it.

A single head of lettuce can have 51 different chemical residues.

USDA tests have found more than 60 different pesticides on celery.

I used to buy frozen strawberries and blueberries to use in smoothies. Not anymore! I now special-order organic frozen berries when they're not in season at my local farmer's market.

Blueberries: 52 Pesticide Residues Found by the USDA Pesticide Data Program1,2,3

The chemicals are cancer-causing and insidious! I used to look the other way because buying organic was more expensive, but not anymore. Illness is much more expensive than organic produce! So now I buy organic as much as possible. But, the problem is that it's not always possible! What to do?

Rinsing under the tap won't help. All that does is add chlorine. Yes, the produce will absorb the chlorine from your tap water! I know this for a fact because I've tested it.

I don't think apple cider vinegar will help either. Here's why: Most pesticides are oil-based, so that they don't wash off in the rain!

I soak all my fruits and veggies in the strong alkaline water from my ionizer machine. It is a powerful emulsifier and takes the oil-based pesticides right off! The soak water is dark and has lots of gunk in it. The produce tastes much better because the bitter chemicals have been removed! In fact, I do demonstrations at restaurants, and the chefs always love it because they can taste the difference!

Not only that, but the produce lasts much longer in the frig. I've had strawberries last a week without getting fuzzy, no kidding! Greens don't wilt nearly as quickly. And if they do wilt, I can rehydrate them good as new!

This is the same water I use to clean my oven and do laundry. Laundry Detergent is another cancer-causing substance because it stays in the clothing and is absorbed through the skin.

My machine has made it possible to eat organic-quality produce without paying organic prices! And, I've been able to eliminate most household chemical cleaners.

Here is a webinar to learn more about it. Don't worry: the only person who will see your email address is me. No spam. No sales pitch. No hype. No BS! Just good info.

http://crystalightwater.com/

[Karl]

I'm aware that Kangen water can remove the pesiticides, which would be very nice, but that's not really one of my viable options right now. Does anyone know of an alternative to Kangen?

I may need to just find an organic produce place...

[Ruth]

I still believe that vinegar can be helpful in cleansing fruit & veggies, it will also kill parasites and bacteria on the food. It's also a good cleaner to use around the house.

http://therealapple.com/5/post/2012/03/h...negar.html

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articl...rview.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articl...eaner.aspx


You could use baking soda to alkalize water if you think that will be a better way to clean fruit & veggies. As for chlorine - if you are filtering your water, you're removing the chlorine anyway. Chlorine will evaporate fairly quickly (within a few hours I believe) if you just leave the water out. I have well water, so chlorine is not a problem for me.

And I agree that purchasing organic produce as often as possible is a great way to start.

I would also say that blessing the food, or setting the intention that the food will serve the highest good of your body, is another way to improve it for you.

[Monica]

I still believe that vinegar can be helpful in cleansing fruit & veggies, it will also kill parasites and bacteria on the food. It's also a good cleaner to use around the house.

There's a difference between killing bacteria and removing pesticides. Those are 2 separate issues. Vinegar will kill bacteria, yes, but it won't do anything for oil-based pesticides.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articl...rview.aspx

Thank you, but that interview is bogus. Dr. Mercola didn't even bother to research ionized water technology before doing that interview. I know for a fact that he was offered a free machine to test out, but he turned it down. Instead, he chose to parrot the disinfo on a quackwatch-run (drug industry) website that sought to discredit medical devices used in Japanese hospitals. How do I know that? Because of the glaring mistakes made, such as mixing up alkaline and acidic; a mistake no doctor or chemist would make unless they were intentionally trying to deceive a gullible audience.

Dr. Mercola has done a fine job of exposing the corruption in the medical industry and vaccines, but I completely lost respect for him when he allowed his conflict of interest (he sells reverse osmosis units) to reign over factual reporting, especially being in the position he is in. Thousands, if not millions, of people follow him and consider him a guru. To knowingly skew the facts is reprehensible! He's a smart man so there is really no other explanation. The same is true regarding diet. He frequently uses the terms vegetarian when he was clearly referring to vegan, yet doesn't bother to make the distinction. And, he selectively ignores studies that don't agree with his 'caveman' dietary preferences.

So I definitely wouldn't consider him an authority on water, or even on diet.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articl...eaner.aspx

Respectfully, once again this is disinfo. If you read the article carefully, you will see that it is implied that vinegar removes pesticides, but nothing is ever said to back that up, or to explain how it could do that. There is no mechanism by which vinegar could remove oil-based pesticides, other than mechanically rinsing off a bit of it, as does water. If one has a large glop of, say, olive oil poured onto an apple, then rinses that apple in tap water, vinegar, or any other rinse, sure, some of the oil will be washed away. But that is strictly mechanical and most of the oil will still cling to the apple.

Again, reading carefully, the article you linked to says only this:

Last but not least, vinegar can be used to remove certain pesticides and bacteria from your fresh produce.

There is a lot of implication here. Key word is certain. Yet nothing is said to back that up. A quick search yields this:

Scientists have found some effective household measures that can eliminate germs and pesticides. The simplest? Rinsing with tap water, which works as well as a mild soap solution or fruit and vegetable washes.

In studies at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in 2000, for example, scientists compared pesticide removal methods on 196 samples of lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes. Some were rinsed under tap water for a minute; others were treated with either a 1 percent solution of Palmolive or a fruit and vegetable wash. Tap water “significantly reduced” residues of 9 of 12 pesticides, and it worked as well as soap and wash products, the studies found.

Water temperature was not the key; friction was. “The mechanical action of rubbing the produce under tap water is likely responsible for removing pesticide residues,” scientists wrote.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/health...ealth&_r=0

So...it has been scientifically proven that soap and 'pesticide removing' product don't work any better than tap water! Which is...nearly worthless.

And it even explains why: Mechanical action. That's it. The water/soap/vinegar do nothing to remove oil. Oil and water don't mix! Unless it's strong alkaline water, that is, which does indeed mix with oil and emulsifies it. The article admits that the only reason the pesticides are reduced at all is simple friction.

Bottom line is that if one thinks they are removing pesticides by using water, some sort of soap or 'pesticide wash' or vinegar, they are in fact only removing about 10% or so, whatever they can remove from the surface by friction. Most of the cancer-causing chemicals remain. Those pesticide washes are providing a false sense of security.People who rely on them are consuming a lot more pesticide residue than they thought they were.

I was one of those people. My eyes were opened when I saw the gunk removed by strong alkaline water, and tasted the difference.

You could use baking soda to alkalize water if you think that will be a better way to clean fruit & veggies.

Baking soda only increases the pH by up to a factor of 10; ie. tap water is usually neutral or slightly alkaline - in the 7 to 8 range - and if you add baking soda it will just raise the pH to about the 8 to 8.5 range...maybe 9.0 if you're lucky. That won't do a thing for pesticides. The water must be at least 11 pH - which is 10,000 times more alkaline than tap water - to emulsify oil.

Anyone can try this for themselves. Put some baking soda in water - any water - and then pour that water into a glass that has a bit of olive oil in it. See what happens. It will glob up. Why? Because oil and water don't mix.

But strong alkaline Electrolyzed Reduced Water does indeed mix with oil and in fact emulsifies oil. What's more, just being alkaline at the level of 11.0 isn't enough either - it must actually be reduced. Not all alkaline water is reduced! Only reduced strong alkaline water will emulsify oil.

Yes I understand that that medical-grade ionizers are expensive. I understand that you guys are trying to find a cheap alternative to removing pesticides. If you find one, please let me know! To my knowledge, medical-grade strong alkaline, Electrolyzed Reduced Water is the only substance that effectively removes pesticides.

Is it expensive? You bet! But, it's not nearly as expensive as the cancer and other diseases caused by pesticides.

I am offering this info for those who might find it beneficial.

As for chlorine - if you are filtering your water, you're removing the chlorine anyway. Chlorine will evaporate fairly quickly (within a few hours I believe) if you just leave the water out.

Chlorine is easy to remove. Any cheap filter can do that. But most people aren't going to leave their drinking water out for a few hours before consuming. Then there is the shower. A 10-minute shower puts as much chlorine into the body as drinking 8 glasses of tap water!

That too is easy to address. A simple shower filter can be purchased at Home Depot, Lowe's etc. for about $50-$100. I use one called the Water Sprite. Careful, though! Not all of the shower heads have filters! Some are just 'low pressure' heads and do nothing to filter the water. Be sure to read the label carefully. Also, you have to change the filter every 2-3 months or so, depending on how many people are in the household.

Most whole-house water systems also remove chlorine. So Chlorine isn't really an issue for anyone with a kitchen filter and shower filter, or a whole-house filtration system.

Fluoride, however, is a whole 'nother issue entirely.

---

And I agree that purchasing organic produce as often as possible is a great way to start.

Yes, and not only is it healthier for us, but it's also supporting the organic farmers, whose livelihoods are at stake, thanks to the corporatizing of farms. Most farms are now owned by corporations. Buying organic is also making a statement, as well as avoiding GMO produce, which is a whole 'nother issue too.

BUT, even organic produce can still have pesticides! There are many pesticides used by organic farmers and deemed 'acceptable' because they break down faster. Plus, many have waxes and other substances and can still be classified as 'organic.' So even organic produce can be improved by soaking in strong alkaline Electrolyzed Reduced Water.

Truly, the only way to completely avoid the problem, is to grow your own food! Which is much easier than one might think. One would be amazed how many food-bearing plants can be squeezed into a tiny yard! Even apartment dwellers can grow greens in pots, if they have a small balcony. There are now dwarf fruit trees that can be grown in pots.

Sprouting is another great way to get organic veggies. Sprouting is easy and can be done in any kitchen.

Realistically, though, people are still going to buy staples like apples, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, etc. whether they sprout or not. So a solution must be employed, if they want to avoid the cancer-causing chemicals.

I would also say that blessing the food, or setting the intention that the food will serve the highest good of your body, is another way to improve it for you.

Absolutely! But wouldn't it make more sense to start with clean food, and bless it, than to start with polluted food? The idea of blessing away the contaminants sounds good in theory, but realistically, I doubt that most people can consistently pull that off. If they could, then they wouldn't be getting sick. But a quick glance at the New Age community shows that they suffer from illnesses just like other people do. So clearly just blessing their food isn't enough, unless the person is on the level of a Yogananda and everything they touch is instantly transformed.

Sorry if I sound a bit cynical here, but I've met too many people who 'bless their food' consistently and yet are still sick.

[Marc]

Grow food, not lawns
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[Monica]

Grow food, not lawns

YES!!!

[Ruth]

So, Karl, Monica has answered your second question. As an alternative to the water system, use regular water, or filtered water and friction to help remove as much pesticide residue as possible. Also, grow as much of your own food as possible, and purchase as much organic food as possible.

good luck!

[Karl]

Okay thanks for the information everyone. I'll experiement with it.

[Monica]

For anyone (other than Karl) who would like to know more about how strong 11.5 pH water can remove oil-based pesticides, check this out. Two different brands of blackberries, with different gunk pulled off. Even with the same fruit, there can be different pesticides used in different regions. This is proof that it's being pulled off by the strong 11.5 water.


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