The Dirty Dozen vs. the Clean 15.

Buying organic can be so tricky. Some people think buying organic is a special diet that will help lose weight and change your body. Organic food has nothing to do with weight loss, but in small ways, it can help to change your body for the better. Mostly, an organic diet helps to reduce pesticides, hormones and antibiotics in your food supply. Buying organic food is a powerful vote with your dollars and tells food suppliers and government agencies what you value. But just how far can you stretch your dollars and therefore votes?

If, like most folks, your voting power is limited, there are certain foods that you want to always purchase organically, and several foods that won't make a difference. So use your voting power/hard earned dollars to make the choice that keep your family the healthiest. Here is a list of foods to avoid (The Dirty Dozen) buying regularly, and foods (The Clean 15) that don't need to be purchased organically.

The Dirty Dozen-Buy these foods organically grown:

1. Celery

2. Peaches

3. Strawberries

4. Apples

5. Blueberries

6. Nectarines

7. Bell Peppers

8. Spinach

9. Kale

10. Cherries

11. Potatoes

12. Imported Grapes

You may notice the common thread in many of these items. There is no protective skin, or outer barrier that is not consumed. That means the produce has no protection from herbicides, pesticides or anything else that might be introduced to the fruit. The herbicide, pesticides or hormones are directly absorbed into the produced, and then consumed completely by you. Yuck!

The Clean 15-No Need to Buy Organic

1. Onions

2. Avocado

3. Sweet Corn

4. Pineapple

5. Mango

6. Sweet Peas

7. Asparagus

8. Kiwi

9. Cabbage

10. Eggplant

11. Cantelope

12. Watermelon

13. Grapefruit

14. Sweat Potato

15. Honeydew Melon

According to FoodNews.org "The growing consensus among scientists is that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can cause lasting damage to human health, especially during fetal development and early childhood. Scientists now know enough about the long-term consequences of ingesting these powerful chemicals to advise that we minimize our consumption of pesticides."

So the choice is up to you. Do you spend your dollars on organic foods, or just avoid The Dirty Dozen? Do you vote with your dollars or ignore it all together and get the most for your money? Do you avoid the grocery store and grow your own? What are your thoughts? What is important to you when it comes to organic foods?