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The Survivor's Nest - The Dirty Dozen and Clean 15

The food we buy and bring into our homes is vital fuel for healthy bodies. As cancer survivors, most of us are more aware of our susceptibility to cancer and are looking for ways to lower our risk. Because the benefit of eating our fruits and vegetables outweighs the risk of pesticide exposure, get your five servings a day even if you don't buy organic. It couldn't hurt, however, to lower our exposure to pesticides whenever possible. 

The  Environmental Working Group publishes a list of the cleanest and dirtiest fruits and vegetables so you will know when to spend more on organic and when to save your money:

DIRTY DOZEN - starting with the three worst                         

  1. Apple                                                                     
  2. Celery                                                                        
  3. Strawberries                                                           
  4. Peaches                                                                  
  5. Spinach                                                                   
  6. Nectarines (imported)                                           
  7. Grapes (imported)                                                 
  8. Sweet Bell Peppers                                              
  9. Potatoes                                                                  
  10. Blueberries (domestic)                                      
  11. Lettuce                                                                    
  12. Kale/Collard Greens    

CLEAN 15: Lowest in pesticides

  1. Onion
  2. Corn
  3. Pineapples  
  4. Avocado
  5. Asparagus
  6. Sweet Peas
  7. Mangoes
  8. Eggplant
  9. Cantaloupe
  10. Kiwi
  11. Cabbage
  12. Watermelon
  13. Sweet Potatoes
  14. Grapefruit
  15. Mushrooms                                                                                                                                                                                          

When you go to the grocery store, you can carry this list with you. To make it super easy, you can download it onto your iPhone or Android phone, or print it out as a PDF and put it in your wallet. 

Enjoy your fruit and vegetables!

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