Why Choose Organic Foods?

Organic Foods are far more nutritious than non-organic. They are thought to have a higher concentration of antioxidants which ward off cancer and heart disease AND are chemical free.

Organic foods are grown without the use of pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewer sludge! They also...

• don't have any additives.
• are not given hormones or antibiotics (the livestock, not the fruit!).
• are not genetically modified (in most countries).

If you're thinking of just adding a few organic fruits and veggies to your diet, take a look below.

I've listed the 10 most pesticide laden foods. If you're going to start buying more organic, then start by choosing from the list below!

Top 10 RAW Foods to Eat Organic

1. Baby Food - studies have shown baby food to have multiple pesticides as well as up to 3 carcinogens! There are organic baby foods out there if needed, but the best kind would be to make your own (with organic foods, of course!).

2. Strawberries - a study found that supermarket strawberries were the most heavily contaminated fruit or vegetable in the U.S.
3. Bell Peppers - have been found with 2 or more toxic pesticides.
4. Bananas - Costa Rica uses 35% of the countries pesticides on banana crops!
5. Green Beans - over 6 different pesticides are used on green beans! Buy locally or grow your own.
6. Peaches - these have the highest rate of illegally applied pesticides.
7. Apples - 36 different pesticides have been detected by the FDA. Organic apples have been found to have 63% more calcium, 73% more iron, 118% more magnesium, 125% more potassium and 60% more zinc than the non-organic ones!
8. Cherries - have high levels of antioxidants, potassium, iron, vitamin C and B complex vitamins. Recent studies have shown cherries have the potential to relieve the pain of arthritis, gout and inflamed joints.
9. Celery - had a score of 85 out of 100 for highest pesticide load.
10. Grapes - U.S. grapes contain insecticides that have been listed as endocrine disruptors. These have been known to mimic or block hormones and disrupt the body's normal functions. Certainly not something I'd want in my body!

What do the labels mean?

• Conventional - product is made conventionally with commonly used pesticides, chemicals, herbicides, fungicides, etc.
• Transitional - working toward certification process and is in the three year period where they are meeting organic standards, but cannot be certified yet.

  The farmland used to grow the produce must be free of chemicals for at least three years.

• 100% Organic - exclusively organic ingredients or single ingredient products like fruits or vegetables.
• Organic - 95% of the product is made of organic ingredients.
• Made with Organic Ingredients - ingredients are 70-95% organic. The organic ingredients are specified on the label.
• Less than 70% Organic - the product has less than 70% of organic ingredients.
• Natural - does not mean organic.

  It just means there are no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives in that product and
  it is minimally processed.

• "Free-Range" - does not mean organic. This means that the animal has some access to roam. This does not necessarily mean an outdoor pasture.
• "Hormone-Free" - does not mean organic. The animals were not given growth hormones.

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