I often tell my patients that the single most important thing for good heart health is proper nutrition.

I go further by explaining that the number one thing to proper nutrition is eating organic foods.

So how can you tell if your food is really organic? The easy way for loose fruits and vegetables is to read the Price Look Up (PLU) sticker.

Organic produce will contain a PLU sticker with a five-digit code beginning with the number 9.

Stay away from any PLU sticker that is not five-digits beginning with 9. Four-digit PLU stickers are not used for organic fruits and vegetables. If you see a five-digit code beginning with 8, that item is genetically modified. These foods have their DNA mutated so they can handle more pesticides, which could eventually kill you. Avoid foods with a PLU sticker that begins with 8.

Packaged organic foods should contain a green-and-white “USDA” certification seal. This seal means that at least 95% of the ingredients in the product are from organically produced ingredients (except for water and salt).

You need to be careful with foods labeled as organic that are imported into the U.S. from foreign countries, even those foods labeled with the USDA organic seal. The USDA outsources certification of foreign foods to private agencies. These agencies are known to get kickbacks/payola from overseas companies. Unless you know the company that gets organic items from out of the country, my advice is to stay away.

Want to learn more about grocery shopping for organic foods? I’m a cardiologist in Phoenix that offers guided tours through Whole Foods to teach you what to eat and how to shop for great heart health, naturally. Contact my office for more information.