If you are someone who doesn't buy organic produce due to cost, here are two lists that will help you spend dollars wisely on foods that can be obtained right here in La Grange.

Some produce should be organic, either because it absorbs toxins or because toxins cannot be washed off, as is the case with apples, because of their wax film.

The second list notes 15 items you do not have to purchase organic because they are produced with very few pesticides and retain little to no residue after washing—just make sure to use an organic wash like Veggie Wash or use the recipe I use on my fruits and vegetables, listed below.

So next time you visit Jewel-Osco in La Grange Park or Trader Joe's in La Grange, consider bringing a print-out of the following information.

Top 10 foods you must buy organic: Peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, necterines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, grapes, pears and carrots.

Top 15 items with the lowest pesticides are: Onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, mango, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomates and sweet potatoes.

Homemade fruit and vegetable wash I use:

• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons baking soda (preferrably aluminum free)
• 1 Cup water
• 1 Spray bottle
• Spray the produce, let it sit for a few minutes, rinse, and enjoy!

Studies have shown that the nutrients in a cup of spinach from the 1950s would be equal to the vitamins and nutrients in 25 cups of spinach grown today. 

Pesticides and herbicides ruin our soil by depleting minerals—a very important one being iodine—and decrease, if not eliminate, the soil-based organisms and probiotics that play a major factor in digestion, immune system function and much more.

Pesticides and growth hormones can lead to damage to the nervous system, reproductive system, development and behavioral abnormalities, hormone dysfunction, and immune dysfunction.

The Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides provides information on the level of pesticides in food that you can bring with you while you shop, by downloading the PDF or the iPhone application.