It's a Sad State of Affairs...

...when you have to divide up your shopping list into foods more or less likely to kill you. But that's essentially the jist of the 'Dirty Dozen' list proposed by the Environmental Working Group, a San Francisco based chemical watchdog organization, which is carefully documenting and raising awareness about toxins in our food, air, water, and environment. They advise buying the following organic as often as possible, because the selected fruits and vegetables tend to take on a heavier pesticide load, through increased exposure and retention.

• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Pears
• Grapes (Imported)
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes

It's pretty shocking to really comprehend that food we take for granted is usually covered or saturated with a thin layer of poison, designed to kill off the insects and animals that contribute to a healthy, balanced eco-system, and that organic is the exception and comes at a premium. It demonstrates how imbalanced and horribly flawed our economic and agricultural systems are. On the bright side, here's a list of 12 foods that tend to escape the worst contamination, so you can feel less depressed about purchasing them with no organic label attached.

• Onions
• Avocado
• Sweet Corn (Frozen)
• Pineapples
• Mango
• Asparagus
• Sweet Peas (Frozen)
• Kiwi Fruit
• Bananas
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Papaya