Here’s something to think about the next time you get a hankering for enchiladas: According to a news release published this month by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 out of every 25 restaurant-associated outbreaks of foodborne infection from 1998 to 2008 could be traced back to contaminated salsa or guacamole.

CDC experts say that freshly prepared salsa and guacamole in particular typically contain ingredients like raw tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro—an herb made popular by its use in Mexican cuisine—but that improper storage temperatures or handling methods increased the risk of contamination and pathogen growth, resulting in a sharp rise in foodborne illness. While the CDC will continue to monitor foodborne disease trends, they caution restaurant owners to follow proper food safety preparation and storage guidelines.

Tomatoes and peppers are also among the top foods affected by widespread pesticide contamination in the U.S. The majority of commercially grown produce is treated with high amounts of pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals, many of which remain on fruits and vegetables even after a thorough washing. For this reason, natural health experts like Detox Strategy author Brenda Watson recommend buying organically grown produce whenever possible.

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Expectant moms have a lot to think about when it comes to their babies’ health, like eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of exercise, and making sure they avoid things like smoking and alcohol. But what if something you couldn’t even see was affecting the healthy growth of your baby while it was still in the womb?

Experts at the University of California, Berkeley recently found that exposure to flame-retardant chemicals called PBDEs (polybrominated diphenylethers) could significantly affect the healthy brain development of babies in utero. Used in countless consumer products such as electronics, building materials, carpet and upholstery, motor vehicles and more, PBDEs have also been linked to increased risk of miscarriage and premature birth.

So what’s the connection? Researchers looked at more than 250 pregnant women and found that exposure to PBDEs may result in reduced levels of specific thyroid hormones necessary for healthy fetal brain development, and that higher levels of PBDEs in the mother’s blood were linked to lower levels of important thyroid-stimulating hormones.

The study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, underscores the danger of our modern environment and the thousands of toxins to which we are exposed daily. Curious about how toxic you are? Visit Brenda Watson’s Detox Strategy today and take the quiz! Plus, learn Brenda’s simple tips on how to reduce toxic exposure and eliminate stored toxins from your body.

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