According to the Environmental Working Group (an organization of scientists, researchers and policymakers), certain types of organic produce can reduce the amount of toxins you consume on a daily basis by as much as 80 percent. The group put together two lists, “The Dirty Dozen” and “The Clean 15,” to help consumers know when they should buy organic and when it is unnecessary.

This year’s update of EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ reports that USDA tests found a total of 146 different pesticides on thousands of fruit and vegetable samples examined in 2014 (the last year for which data is available). The pesticides persisted on fruit and vegetables tested by USDA – even when they were washed and, in some cases, peeled.

EWG singles out produce with the highest pesticide loads for its Dirty Dozen™ list. This year, the list includes strawberries, apples, nectarines, peaches, celery, grapes, cherries, spinach, tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers. Each of these foods tested positive for a number of different pesticide residues and showed higher concentrations of pesticides than other produce.

Key findings:

• More than 98 percent of strawberry samples, peaches, nectarines, and apples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue.
• The average potato had more pesticides by weight than any other produce.
• A single grape sample and a sweet bell pepper sample contained 15 pesticides.
• Single samples of strawberries showed 17 different pesticides.

EWG’s Clean Fifteen™ list of produce least likely to hold pesticide residues consists of avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbage, frozen sweet peas, onions, asparagus, mangoes, papayas, kiwis, eggplant, honeydew melon, grapefruit, cantaloupe, and cauliflower. Relatively few pesticides were detected on these foods, and tests found low total concentrations of pesticides on them.

Key findings:

• Avocados were the cleanest: only 1 percent of avocado samples showed any detectable pesticides.
• Some 89 percent of pineapples, 81 percent of papayas, 78 percent of mangoes, 73 percent of kiwi and 62 percent of cantaloupes had no residues.
• No single fruit sample from the Clean Fifteen™ tested positive for more than 4 types of pesticides.
• Multiple pesticide residues are extremely rare on Clean Fifteen™ vegetables. Only 5.5 percent of Clean Fifteen samples had two or more pesticides.

It is important to recognize that not everyone can afford an all-organic diet, but just buying organic fruits and vegetables from the Dirty 12 list can greatly reduce your exposure to pesticides.

Check out the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce:

and take it with you when you go shopping.

For more information, go to www.ewg.org

Water is an essential nutrient. The body needs more water each day than any other nutrient. So much so, that you can survive only a few days without water, whereas a deficiency of other nutrients may take weeks, months, or even years to develop. Water also makes up about 60% of an adult’s body weight and an even higher percentage of a child’s. Because of this, consuming enough water throughout the day is one of the most important things that you can do for your body.

Important functions of water:

• Vital to digestion and metabolism because it acts as a medium for chemical reactions in the body
• Carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells through blood
• Regulates body temperature through perspiration
• Acts as a lubricant and cushion around joints, inside the eyes and the spinal cord
• Removes waste through sweat and urine
• Assists in respiration by moistening the lungs to facilitate intake of oxygen and excretion of carbon dioxide
• Vital component of the body’s tissues and organs
• Maintains blood volume

So how much do you need?

Adequate intake per day is:
• 15 cups (120 ounces) for adult men
• 11 cups (88 ounces) for adult women
• Is based on total water intake from food and beverages, including milk, juice, and tap or bottled water
• Although most water intake comes from beverages, solid foods also make a significant contribution
•  Many fruit and vegetables are more than 80% water
• Water in caffeinated beverages such as coffee and tea counts toward total water intake, even though caffeine may have a diuretic effect on some people

How do you know if you are getting enough?

• One way to monitor water intake is to check the color and odor of your urine
• Dark yellow instead of pale urine is a sign of insufficient water intake
• Urine with a very strong odor is also indicative of insufficient water intake
• When too much water is lost from the body and not replaced, dehydration occurs. Progressive signs of dehydration include:
• Thirst, fatigue, weakness, discomfort, loss of appetite, dry skin and mucous membranes
• Impaired physical performance, dry mouth, reduction in urine, flushed skin, impatience, apathy
• Difficulty concentrating, headache, irritability, sleepiness, impaired temperature regulation, increased respiratory rate
• Dizziness, muscle spasms, loss of balance, delirium, exhaustion, collapse

Try your best to drink water every day! Your body will thank you!