When to go O!

The organic apples or the non-organics…That is the question! But what exactly does this incredibly popular (and uber healthy-sounding) buzzword actually mean?! Simply stated, organic products are grown or created without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. When it comes to animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products, organic means they are not given antibiotics or growth hormones. Hmmm…sounds like organic is pretty darn good. But if you’ve compared organic and non-organic at the grocery store, you’ve noticed that organic is going to cost you. If your pocketbook doesn’t allow for a complete organic transformation, you should focus on going-O for certain products that have the highest content of pesticides, additives, and hormones. If you get your five daily servings of fruits and veggies from the 12 most contaminated produce items, you’ll end up consuming an average of TEN different pesticides a day. Ew!! To avoid chowing down on pesticides, go organic when it comes to these 12 most contaminated items:

-Apples
-Cherries
-Grapes
-Nectarines
-Peaches
-Pears
-Raspberries
-Strawberries
-Bell Peppers
-Celery
-Potatoes
-Spinach

Want to save a little green? No need to go organic for the following “safe” foods: Bananas, kiwi, mangos, papaya, and pineapples. Organic fruits and veggies typically cost 50% more than their generic versions, but when it comes to the dirty dozen list above…it’s well worth it!