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Not all of us can afford to go 100% organic every time we shop. The solution? Focus on avoiding those foods that come with the heaviest burden of pesticides, additives and hormones.You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by as much as 80% by avoiding the most contaminated foods in the grocery store. Pesticide residue is a fact of modern agriculture: Not all the pesticide used to kill bugs, grubs or fungus on the farm washes off under the tap at home. Government tests show which fruits and vegetables, prepared typically at home, still have a pesticide residue. The Environmental Working Group takes that government data and publishes an annual list of the Dirty Dozen, those foods most likely to have the highest pesticide residues. This year, celery takes the number one spot, and both blueberries and spinach make an appearance (displacing lettuce and pears). The best way to avoid pesticide residue on foods is to buy organic produce; USDA rules prohibit the use of pesticides on any crop with the certified organic label.

DIRTY DOZEN (in order of most harmful): Celery • Peaches • Strawberries • Apples • Blueberries • Nectarines • Bell pepper • Spinach • Kale • Cherries • Potatoes • Grapes

GREAT TIP: if you're eating the skin of a vegetable or fruit, best to buy organic! Makes sense, right!

NUTRITIP: Healthier Milk. Buy certified organic milk. It doesn't contain antibiotics or added bovine growth hormone (BGH)

HOW DO PESTICIDES HARM US? Many studies have shown pesticide and other toxic exposure linked with significantly increased cancer, birth defects, and diseases of the reproductive, immune, and neurological systems.

Many studies have shown pesticide and other toxic exposure linked with significantly increased cancer, birth defects, and diseases of the reproductive, immune, and neurological systems. This has been shown in home use (including with children and pets), occupational use (farmers, farm workers, exterminators, and workers in manufacturing plants), and people living near farms.

For instance: Farmers are generally healthier than the population, having higher physical activity and lower mortality from heart disease and some cancers. But they have a significantly higher risk of cancers that are commonly associated with pesticide exposure, such as Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, leukemia, and malignant lymphoma. The studies name pesticides as one of the likely reasons for this increase. And other studies have shown that those farmers using higher amounts of pesticides have are more likely to get these cancers.

READ MORE HERE! (Healthworld.org)