The Dirty Dozen

One of the things I love about being a journalist is having the opportunity to step into the lives of interesting people and hear their stories.  One such person is breast cancer survivor Jennifer Griffin.  Jennifer is a wife and mother of three who also happens to be a correspondent at Fox News Channel.  During a recent meeting, Jennifer and I discussed her battle with triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease that's often found in Hispanic women, African-Americans and women who have just given birth.  Jennifer found a lump in her right breast while nursing her son Luke.  Her diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer brought with it radiation, 17 rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy.   Fortunately, those treatments helped push Jennifer's cancer into remission.  With the cancer out of her body she now has a new outlook on living and eating.

  Organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, green tea and filtered water are standard fare.  Refined sugars are out, while natural sweeteners like dates are in. Midway through our talk, Jennifer asked me if I knew about "The Dirty Dozen."  She was referring not to the 1967 movie but to the 12 fruits and vegetables most likely to be contaminated with pesticides.  

Leading cancer experts now recommend eating produce without pesticides to lower the risk of developing cancer and other health problems.   Here's a list of "The Dirty Dozen" provided by the non-profit health advocacy organization the Environmental Working Group.  EWG also offers "The Clean 15" which features a rundown of fruits and vegetables that have been found to have less pesticide residue and be safe to eat in non-organic form. "The Dirty Dozen" and "The Clean 15" have changed the way I shop.  Will they change your buying habits?  
The Dirty Dozen (Buy Organic)     

1.) celery
2.) peaches
3.) strawberries
4.) apples
5.) blueberries (domestic)
6.)  nectarines
7.)  sweet bell peppers
8.)  spinach
9.)  collard greens and kale
10.)  cherries
11.)  potatoes
12.)  grapes (imported)

The Clean 15 (Safe to Buy Non-Organic)
1.) onions
2.) avocados
3.) sweet corn
4.) pineapples
5.) mango
6.) sweet peas
7.)  asparagus
8.) kiwi fruit
9.)  cabbage
10.)  eggplant
11.) cantaloupe
12.) watermelon
13.) grapefruit
14.) sweet potatoes
15.)  sweet onions
    If you're concerned about the increased cost of organic foods, avoid buying fruits and vegetables on
"The Dirty Dozen" list and stick with the non-organic choices on "The Clean 15."   
  For a link to the Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce , click here:    http://www.ewg.org/release/when-should-you-buy-organic