5 Foods that are best to buy organic

If you are looking to optimize your health, it is important to limit your exposure to chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals. The long term effect of eating toxic foods is cumulative and will definitely have a negative effect on your health. By not paying attention to where your food is coming from you may be potentially exposing yourself to:

There is also data correlating the use of pesticides and the decline of bee populations. Bees are a crucial element in the production of food.

These fruits and vegetables are commonly available throughout the year so it is an excellent place to start to get in the habit of buying organic varieties.

Apples
One of the most nutritious parts of the Apple is the peel, offering a high concentration of anti-inflammatory flavonoids such as quercitin and catechin as well as other phytochemicals that can reduce risk of cancer and heart disease. Unfortunately, the peel is where the pesticides accumulate and pesticide residue can be found even in apple juice and applesauce. 91% of apples sampled were found to contain pesticides and you may be exposing yourself up to 47 different kinds.

Celery
Celery has been consistently ranked near the top of the list for pesticide contamination for several years. 94.5% of celery sampled were found to contain pesticides.By eating conventionally grown celery you may be exposing yourself to up to 64 different pesticides residues.

Grapes
Grapes are rich sources of antioxidants including resveratrol, which appears to powerfully block oxidation reactions that can damage cells. But conventionally grown grapes, and even raisins, are prone to increased levels of pesticides. A study in Europe discovered that 99% of grapes tested contained dangerous and even illegal amounts of pesticide residue. By eating conventionally grown grapes you are potentially exposing yourself to up to 56 different toxic compounds.

Spinach
This leafy vegetable often has high levels of pesticide residue. 83.4% of spinach sampled were found to contain pesticides. Spinach is often sprayed with more than 20 kinds of pesticides before being tossed in our salads, blended into smoothies and cooked in our omelets. A USDA study found 57 pesticide residues in spinach, and other tests conducted show that frozen and canned spinach can contain as much pesticide as fresh spinach.

Strawberries
Because strawberries are often prone of fungi attack, farmers routinely use fungicide in their production. 90% of strawberries sampled were found to contain pesticides. By eating conventionally grown strawberries you could potentially be eating up to 45 different pesticide compounds. Other studies have shown that antioxidant levels in organically grown strawberries were about 19 percent higher than they were in conventionally grown strawberries.

People often complain that the cost of organic produce is prohibitive compared to buying the cheaper conventional varieties. An important perspective to consider is that the extreme cost of your health care later due to the effects of toxicity will be exponentially more expensive than the preventative cost of eating healthy today. Buying clean food is an investment in your good health.