Most of you know that in our Personal Training sessions we recommend that you eat lean meats, fruits and vegetables.  And if possible you want to try and get all organic products.  The only problem is that like many things in consumer products, the term is used in many forms due to weak law enforcement on its use and the different variations within the law that allow you to use the term "organic" under different circumstances.

Organic foods are grown without the use of chemical fertilizer or pesticides and have not been processed using irradiation or added hormones.  Ideally this is the type of organic products you want to buy.

The law allows a wide dispersion on the use of the term as it applies to food products. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, products that are  labeled “100 percent organic” must contain only organic ingredients.  The only exception to this rule is water and salt.  Products that are labeled “organic” must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients. Lastly any products that are made with at least 70 percent organic ingredients are allowed to be labeled “made with organic ingredients".

Given the fact that organic foods can cost 2-3 times more than other similar food products you may want to focus on certain foods that would be much healthier and safer if consumed as organic products.  According to the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit that advocates for cleaner safer foods, the worst offenders for toxic practices such as pesticides and fertilizers that you should seek organic options for are:

• Apples
• Celery
• Cherries
• Grapes (imported)
• Lettuce
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Strawberries
• Sweet bell peppers