TOP 10 BEST BUYS: USA Organic & Non Organic Produce

In order to achieve a healthy, glowing complexion, you need to feed your skin from the inside out and the outside in.

This can be accomplished in 2 simple ways:
1. inside out:
being aware of what you put in your body
2. outside in:
being aware of what you put on your skin

Today we are going to take a closer look at what you put in your body, namely fresh fruits and veggies. We all know fruits and veggies are good for us, and buying organic is the way to get the purest form of the fruit or veggie along with the vitamins and antioxidants it provides. But did you know that certain fruits and veggies store higher levels of pesticides used in the cultivating process than others? Since buying organic is sometimes either unavailable or unaffordable to many, it's important to know which fresh fruits and veggies are safe to not buy organic.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) did a study examining the levels of pesticides in almost 50 fruits and veggies. Below is a chart I created comparing the 10 best buys for both organic and non-organic FRESH fruits and veggies**. Print out the chart so next time you are at the grocer, you can make healthy decisions for your body, skin & wallet!

TOP 10 BEST BUYS: USA Fresh Grown Produce

BUY NON-ORGANIC: these fruits and veggies have the lowest pesticide loads		BUY ORGANIC: these fruits and veggies have the highest pesticide loads
Fruit/Veggie	Pesticide Level*	Fruit/Veggie	Pesticide Level*
Onion	1	Peach	100
Avocado	1	Apple	93
Pineapple	7	Sweet bell pepper	83
mango	9	Celery	82
Asparagus	10	Nectarine	81
Kiwi	13	Strawberries	80
Cabbage	17	Cherries	73
eggplant	20	kale	69
Papaya	20	Lettuce	67
watermelon	26	carrot	63

* according to EWG testing

**This Chart has been created by Kristin Fraser Cotte of The Grapeseed Company and Green Skincare Blog, adapted from information provided by the EWG

www.thegrapeseedcompany.com ~ www.greenskincareblog.com

kristin@thegrapeseedcompany.com ~ Santa Barbara, California