Going Organic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/volatile1966/450829137/

Eliminating additives, preservatives, hormones, antibiotics and pesticides from your diet is a great way to start making positive changes to your lifestyle.  Understanding the impact that food choices have on our bodies can be a motivating factor in taking action on eating a cleaner, healthier diet.  We’re exposed to chemicals through our environment and through the foods we eat. The average person is said to have more than 700 chemical contaminants in their bloodstream.  Scientists are beginning to make the connection of the health risks from long term chemical exposure not only from the environment but from the foods we eat.  The list of changes we can make collectively and as individuals seems endless.  Making small steps toward change and buying fresh organic fruits and vegetables is a great place to start.  Harmful contamination from pesticide residue can become a hidden menace in the quality of food we choose.  The Environmental Working Group www.ewg.org has created a shoppers guide that is helpful in determining which produce has the highest and lowest levels of pesticide residue.  Generally, fruits and vegetables with thicker skin have lower pesticide residue. 

High in Pesticide Residue	High in Pesticide Residue
Onions	Celery
Avocado	Peaches
Sweet Corn	Strawberries
Pineapple	Apples
Mangos	Blueberries
Sweet Peas	Nectarines
Asparagus	Bell Peppers
Kiwi	Spinach
Cabbage	Cherries
Eggplant	Kale/Collard Greens
Cantaloupe	Potatoes
Watermelon	Grapes (imported)
Grapefruit
Sweet Potato
Honeydew Melon

The Environmental Working Group is a non profit organization that specializes in providing useful resources to consumers while simultaneously pushing for national policy change.  By using the above list as a guide you can make educated decisions about when to buy organic as you turn the corner toward a cleaner, healthier diet.