The Dirty Dozen/ Newest Contributor!

Not sure about you, but I don't welcome ingesting a nice, hearty helping of pesticides along with my food. I typically try to buy organic wherever possible. I frankly do not care what the research, the FDA or any governmental body says. At one point we all thought saccharin was fine, too, until they determined it was carcinogenic. Organics are expensive, but you ARE worth it! And the environment is worth it. Let's all try to lessen our footprint on this earth, just a bit. There is particular list of organics that are particularly important to buy - they are the ones that test highest for pesticide residues. They are as follows:

• Peaches


• Apples


• Bell Peppers


• Celery


• Nectarines


• Strawberries


• Cherries


• Kale


• Lettuce


• Grapes (imported)


• Carrots


• Pears

The idea is to try to buy these wherever possible. Conversely, there is set of produce that isn't as important to buy organic as they test lowest for pesticide residues; they are:

• Onions


• Avocados


• Sweet corn


• Pineapple


• Mango


• Asparagus


• Sweet Peas


• Kiwi


• Cabbage


• Eggplant


• Papaya


• Watermelon


• Broccoli


• Tomatoes


• Sweet potatoes

Food for thought the next time you are at the grocery store. Of course, local, organic produce is best, as transport costs (environmental burden) are less and it is that much fresher. Also, I personally try to buy all meat, eggs and dairy organic, too.

Now on to some news I think is exciting. My former trainer Chad Hackler will be contributing to this blog periodically. He is like a brother to me. We fought like brother and sister at times, too - but I love him dearly. He truly is trainer extraordinaire. He has trained and still trains numerous pro athletes and many looking to get into the pros. He also trained one of our most beloved former Dallas residents, Angie Harmon. His body of knowledge is extraordinary. I look forward to contributing with him on this blog.