This weeks Topic of the Week ^[1].

The Environmental Working Group just released their 2016 Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce. They state that we should avoid pesticides because they are designed to be toxic. They are created to kill organisms that we consider undesirable. Unfortunately these same chemicals can lead to many health problems in humans.

This is a list of the worst offenders that we should avoid. However, they clearly state that eating fruits and vegetables from this list are still significantly better for you than eating sugar and processed foods with additives.

So this is a guide, if you are going to buy some of your produce organic these are the ones to focus on:

1. Strawberries
2. Apples
3. Nectarines
4. Peaches
5. Celery
6. Grapes
7. Cherries
8. Spinach
9. Tomatoes
10. Bell Peppers
11. Cherry Tomatoes
12. Cucumbers

In addition, they mentioned two more vegetables that they had concern about:

• Leafy Greens (Kale/Collard Greens)
• Hot Peppers

If you eat a lot of these vegetables, try to buy them organic. If you are unable to buy them organic, cook them. They say that cooking diminishes pesticide residue.

To read more go to EWG’s 2016 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ ^[2] 

The Dirty Dozen: 12+ Fruits and Vegetables to Buy Organic