You’re shopping at your local market — say, for some brown rice.  You see the bag of brown rice with that bold and proud green and white USDA ORGANIC logo, but then realize the one right next to it is almost a buck cheaper without the badge.  On a typical day….which one do you throw into your basket??

WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU: If the ingredients get the toxins, so do you. Over a billion different toxins and pesticides are used in the US each year.  According Extraordinary Health Magazine, in 2004 the Center for Disease Control study released a study where 100% of blood and urine tests from their test group showed pesticide residues, and many 4 times more the acceptable level.  These toxins, herbicides, fungicides and insecticide are directly linked to infertility, birth defects, immune disorders, aging, nervous system damage, digestive and gastrointestinal disorders, and yep, Cancer. 

WHAT YOU’RE PAYING FOR: The USDA Organic seal means that 95% or more of the product contains certified organic ingredients. It means “no irradiation, no pesticides, no genetically modified organisms.  It also denotes adherence to animal health and welfare standards, zero antibiotics or growth hormones, 100% organic feed and giving animals access to the outdoors.  Additionally, it means specific soil and water conservation methods and pollution reduction”.   Buying and eating organic has proven to drop pesticide levels to untraceable, but then immediately return when eating non-organic.  Sounds like a no brainer to me. 

ITS NOT EASY BEING ORGANIC: Not every product can slap this logo on their packaging and call it a day.  The certification is extremely tough to get, therefore you can trust that only the BEST quality products are receiving the credit.  It takes 3 years to convert land to be considered ‘organic’ status.  Whether it be a farmer, rancher, distributor, processor or restaurant that wants the certification, a government  then must approve that they comply with every organic regulations and also undergo frequent audits.

FOR YOUR EASY REFERENCE: Here is a list of what they call the “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean 15”…foods that are best to buy organic, and foods that are relatively cleaner than most.  Refer to this often when shopping for your produce!

DIRTY DOZEN - BUY ORGANIC!!!!!

• Apples
• Celery
• Bell Peppers
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Nectarines
• Grapes
• Spinach, Lettuce, Kale, Greens
• Cucumbers
• Blueberries
• Potatoes
• Green Beans

CLEAN 15 - IF YOU WANT TO GO NON-ORGANIC, THESE ARE BEST.

• Onions
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapples
• Avocado
• Cabbage
• Sweet Peas
• Asparagus
• Mangoes
• Eggplant
• Kiwi
• Cantaloupe
• Sweet Potatoes
• Grapefruit
• Watermelon
• Mushrooms

A FEW MORE TIPS:

• It says: “Made with Organic Ingredients”.  It means: the product contains at least 70% organic ingredients.
• It says: “All-Natural”.  It means: NOT NECESSARILY ORGANIC. All-natural will not contain additives or preservatives, and may be minimally processed, but can be grown with pesticides, genetically modified hormones, and are rarely regulated.

If possible, leave the store with the slightly more expensive brown rice…..

Info based on article “USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC: WHAT ARE YOUR PRODUCTS WEARING?” Extraordinary Health Volume 15, 2012.