Housecalls - Washing Produce, Mercury in Tuna, Warming Chilly Fingers and Toes

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Coming Clean
Q What’s the best way to wash fruits and vegetables?

A Despite the claims made for commercially available produce washes, good old-fashioned H20 is the best way to remove any dirt or pesticides that may be clinging to your fruits and veggies. The detergents in the washes are so mild that they pack no more cleaning power than running water.

“Anything you’re not going to peel, I would run under tap water for 30 seconds,” says Walter Krol, a chemist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven. In fact, Krol did a study comparing plain water to both produce washes and a solution of 1 percent dishwashing solution—and found that neither provided any significant benefit over water alone.

“Most produce actually has extremely low levels of pesticide residue,” Krol says, “but it’s still worth rinsing.” That also goes for organic produce—it’s pesticide-free, but can carry dirt and bacteria.

The Facts on Tuna Fish
Q Now that we know canned tuna contains mercury, how much of it is safe to eat?

A Certainly no more than two cans a week. That’s what the Food and Drug Administration says is safe. But you should know that many scientists, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, the World Health Organization, and the National Academy of Sciences, back stricter standards—a daily limit of 0.1 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. Under this formula, a 132-pound woman would hit the limit after eating a can and a half of chunk light tuna in a week.

If you’re fond of albacore tuna, you should go easier still. Earlier this year, the nonprofit Mercury Policy Project tested 60 cans and found that they contained more mercury than chunk light. The group figures that an adult woman eating two cans a week of albacore would take in four times the EPA limit; for a toddler, it would only take a couple of spoonfuls to reach the limit.

Jane Hightower, the San Francisco physician whose research sounded the alarm about mercury in tuna, recommends limiting albacore to half a can per week. If that sounds like too little, switch to chunk light. (Both contain similar amounts of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.) And remember, there are plenty of other fish in the sea. Canned salmon is great in salads, and sardines go well on crackers.

Digital Deep Freeze
Q My hands and feet are often cold. How can I warm up?

A The quickest way to warm up is to get moving, which will send more blood flowing to your fingers and toes. Try making big circles with your arms, or doing a few jumping jacks. (Making exercise a habit will keep you warmer, too, by boosting your circulation all around.)

When jumping around isn’t feasible, sip an infusion of fresh sliced ginger, simmered for 15 minutes, or apple cider heated with cinnamon sticks. The spices are used in the Ayurvedic and Chinese traditions to promote warmth.

Chinese medicine also uses mustard to bring blood to the surface of the skin. You can double its warming power by mixing...

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