The Environmental Working Group (an organization of scientists, researchers and policymakers), says certain types of organic produce can reduce the amount of toxins you consume on a daily basis by as much as 80 percent, thereby reducing your risk of cancer and other diseases.

The group has a list called “The Dirty Dozen” for conventionally (chemically) grown produce which tested positive for at least 47 different chemicals, with some testing positive for as many as 67 – after they had been thoroughly washed.

For produce on the “dirty” list, you should definitely go organic — unless you relish the idea of consuming a chemical cocktail. The list, compiled from US Department of Agriculture (USDA) data, includes:

• celery
• peaches
• strawberries
• apples
• domestic blueberries
• nectarines
• sweet bell peppers
• spinach, kale and collard greens
• cherries
• potatoes
• imported grapes
• lettuce

The remarkable thing here is that I grow all the vegetables listed and have never — not once — had occasion to use chemicals on them — not pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, or fertilizers. I grow organically, mind you.