When local strawberries show up in the markets, then you know for sure summer has arrived! There is nothing better than these lovely red berries, so juicy and fragrant, to liven up a picnic, a snack or a dessert.

But before the next time you put strawberries in your grocery basket, read on to find out why it’s so important to choose organic!

At the top of the Dirty Dozen

For the first time, strawberries have made their way to the top of the list of the most pesticide-laden foods in the United States, displacing apples, which had held that dubious distinction for several years. [1] An average of 5.75 different chemical products are found on strawberries, compared to an average of 1.74 on other foods.[2]

What are the health effects?

Pesticides have many effects on human health, and unfortunately regulations on their use always seem to favour the industry at the expense of our health. The risks of chronic exposure to low levels of pesticides include cancer[3], developmental problems in children[4], fertility problems[5], endocrine imbalances[6] and imbalances in intestinal flora[7].

Bacteria at the mercy of pesticides

This recent hypothesis is gaining the attention of more and more researchers, and their conclusions are revelatory. Glyphosate, a pesticide that is very widely used in intensive agriculture, may eliminate a wide array of helpful micro-organisms in our intestines without affecting the undesirable populations, such as E. coli and C. Botulinum. [8] There is also some suggestion that it actually encourages the growth of undesirable bacteria and hinders the growth of friendly bacteria. This is very bad new for our health!

What are the alternatives?

Choose organic foods as often as possible to reduce your exposure to pesticides. Sadly, it’s impossible to completely avoid these substances, but the organic alternative naturally lowers the risk of contact and reduces the concentration on your food.

Whether or not you are eating organic, pesticide residues have a harmful effect on the balance and diversity of your intestinal flora. To get everything back into shape, probiotics to the rescue! Every day, protect your flora and help restore it with a Bio-K+ probiotic supplement, in capsule form or in fresh drinkable products, all gluten-free and lactose-free. This will help promote the friendly bacteria among your flora and reduce the damage caused by pesticides.

One fun way to add probiotics to your daily fare is to include them in recipes, like this delicious organic strawberry and avocado cream tart, made with Bio-K+!

So, do you eat organic?

Strawberry and cream tart (vegan, gluten-free)

Makes 6 to 8 tarts

Preparation time: 30 minutes + refrigeration

INGREDIENTS

Crust

2/3 cup medjool dates

1 cup walnuts

1/3 cup Brazil nuts

1 tbsp. coconut oil

1 pinch Himalayan salt

Cream

1 1/2 cups organic strawberries

1 bottle of BioK+ soy (mango)

1 ripe avocado

2 tbsp. pure maple syrup

1 tbsp. whole chia seeds, white or black

1 tbsp. coconut butter (pureed coconut flesh)

1 drop of vanilla, or to taste

Garnish

Organic strawberries, sliced

Grated coconut (optional)

Raw cacao nibs (optional)

Bee pollen (optional)

METHOD

1. Place all the crust ingredients in the food processor bowl. Process until the mixture begins to form a ball.
2. Press the mixture into 6 or 8 silicon tart pans or regular tart pans lined with parchment paper. This will make it easier to unmould them. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. To make the cream, put the strawberries, Bio-K+ soy, avocado flesh, maple syrup, chia seeds, coconut butter and vanilla in the food processor bowl. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Refrigerate 1 hour.
4. To serve, unmould the crusts and garnish with a few spoonfuls of the cream. Arrange the cut berries on top of the cream and decorate with a sprinkling of coconut flakes, bee pollen or cacao nibs.
5. Serve immediately.

[1] https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty_dozen_list.php

[2] https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/strawberries.php

[3] http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/pdf/MonographVolume112.pdf

[4] http://www.autisme.qc.ca/assets/files/02-autisme-tsa/Recherche/Contaminants-et-autisme.pdf

[5] http://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=1060

[6] http://rbej.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1477-7827-4-30

[7] http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1409055/

[8] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1075996413000188