Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide of Pesticides

These have the most amount of pesticides so should be bought organic:
Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries
Nectarines
Bell Peppers
Spinach
Cherries
Kale/Collard
Greens
Potatoes
Grapes (Imported)

This is a list of produce lowest in pesticides:
Onions
Avocado
Sweet Corn
Pineapple
Mangos
Sweet Peas
Asparagus
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet Potato
Honeydew
Melon

They have a lot of good information so please visit their website for more information:
http://www.ewg.org/

Fruit and Veggie Wash

I don't know if you know this but our fruits and vegetables are chock full of pesticides and fertilizers! Especially when we buy produce that is not locally grown and not in season, it is not only grown with unnatural fertilizers and sprayed with pesticides but ethlyene gas to ripen it en route. If we buy non seasonal produce, it is not only produced by harmful pesticides and fertilizers, it is using up fuel to ship it to various parts of the world and sprayed with ethylene gas to ripen the fruit en route! Not to mention the petroleum jelly to make the fruit shiny and more delectable??

I buy organic when possible (not only to support organic farming but because I strongly believe that the more we buy organic, the cheaper it will become) but sometimes, it is not available. I use this spray on my non organic fruits and vegetables when organic is not available ≈ : (I got this from Gorgeously Green):

Fruit and Veggie Wash:
1 cup of water
1 cup of vinegar
1 tablespoon of baking soda
20 drops of grapefruit seed extract (can be found at whole foods)*
Put all of the above ingredients in a spray bottle and spray your fruits and vegetables and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly.

*Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) can be used as super potent vitamin C as well. Whenever I feel like I'm getting sick, I add a 10-20 drops of GSE in my tea!

I have had requests to list 'what should I buy organic'? I feel that we should buy organic whenever possible because it's the right thing to do- we should support organic farming as well as promoting a healthier style of living. All produce should be grown organically, in my opinion, so there should never be any discriminating list on which items to buy organically. BUT if you need to pick and choose then buy organic produce when the skin is edible- berries, apples, broccoli, celery, etc. Please remember to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly and not to place unwashed items on the cutting board- otherwise you will spread the chemicals and dirt (and germs) on the food you will eat!

Why?

My journey to natural living peaked once we discovered that my daughter had allergies to wheat, soy, dairy, eggs and some nuts. As I researched theories and remedies on allergies, I learned more about the food industry, as well as our commercial industry, that manufacture and put chemicals in almost everything we buy, including our food!! Chemicals in our food!!! I could not believe it!

I strongly believe that the chemicals present in our lives are CREATING more problems than it is solving. I definitely am not an expert on this matter- I am a homemaker/stay at home mother making choices to live healthier. I am learning everyday and would like to share what I do know with you.