High Pesticide Levels in NZ Fruit and Vegetables

The levels of pesticide residue present in New Zealand fruit and vegetables, shown in a recently released study, are the worst ever, say pro-organic food lobby groups.
Read article in the New Zealand Herald (New Zealand)

Sodium foods increase fluid retention; potassium foods decrease fluid retention

So if you are overweight or obese you need to avoid salt/sodium and salty food, and eat plenty of fruit and unsalted vegetables because these are naturally rich in potassium. You will then safely and easily lose excess water weight and you will have much more energy because of not having to carry that extra fluid around with you all the time.

Sodium and Potassium in foods

Pity about the'unacceptable' levels of pesticides in supermarket fruit and veg...

Pity about the'unacceptable' levels of pesticides in supermarket fruit and veg... See Telegraph report. - And a pity the Food Standards Agency, with its divided loyalties, seeks to downplay this:

Extracts from the article: "The Food Standards Agency insisted the illegal levels did not necessarily mean that the food was unsafe to eat, and pointed out that the overall levels of pesticides in food had fallen over the last year. In 2007 1.8 per cent of food had illegal levels; 2008 it had fallen to 1.2 per cent." "Emma Hockridge, policy co-ordinator at the Soil Association, said: "Unbelievably we learn yet again that pesticides are turning up in fruit and vegetables supplied to schoolchildren. Yet again the government tells us this is nothing to be worried about.

"Yet we know that children’s exposure and susceptibility to pesticides is likely to be higher as per body weight they ingest more food and drink than adults and their bodies' ability to process and excrete any such residues is different to that of adults."

I reckon organic fruit and veg must be safer, though of course, it also costs more.