Natural food sources

Natural nutritional sources satisfy appetite, are easily obtainable and reasonably inexpensive.

 

In a perfect world, natural food sources would be the perfect form of nutrition; however, this is not a perfect world and there are many possible pitfalls for our natural sources of nutrition.

• The soil on agricultural land has been artificially fertilized, or is depleted in nutrients. Crops can only supply what they have been able to absorb during growth.
• Crops are harvested before their peak and sprayed with chemicals to retard ripening.
• Chemical sprays are applied later to re-start the ripening process.
• Pesticides are still used to ensure bigger crops.
• Produce from supermarkets is packaged in soft plastics which can leach oestrogen into the food.
• Many of the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables are lost through exposure to light, heat and oxidation, both in the supermarkets and at home.
• Livestock are treated with hormones (to increase growth) and antibiotics (to protect against disease). These drugs are often passed on to humans through the meat.
• The time taken from the farm to the table is not easy to calculate, so just how fresh is our food?
• Many fruits and vegetables are now genetically modified to improve appearance and extend shelf life.

 Although buying organic alleviates most of these problems, it does not fix them all. And usually organic produce is a lot more expensive. Buying from a local farmers’ market or farm stall makes for fresher food at a better price (no long term storage or transportation costs).