"The commercially grown strawberries in the grocery store may be larger than those my father grew, but they taste more like cardboard than the luscious fruit I recall from my childhood"

I recall these lines by Gloria Askew (a nutrition expert and a retired registered nurse) which I read few months ago but fail to forget.

Times are changing and what was ideal a few decades ago is not good for us anymore. My great grandfather had his own farms and we used to have a cow in every house in India a few decades ago. Today, we buy stuff from outside, packed attractively to gain our attention, but we have no idea of the quality the lies inside.

There are many variations in the types of food we eat today. Some of them are legal while others are not. When it comes to meat, it is even harder to determine. The animals are often stored in very poor conditions even in the developed countries. The development is definitely there in the terms of technology. There are automated systems to kill, clean and cut animals, but how much does that add to the quality of meat you get?

Similarly, just being vegan is not a passport to good health; there are more precautions that we need to take. There are ways through which fresh produce of fruits and vegetables is adulterated. Some of the methods are used merely for cosmetic purposes. Have you seen perfectly shaped fruits and vegetables at the store? If you have ever been to a non-commercial farm, you know that is not how they grow naturally.

I recently noticed a small papaya which was perfectly ovoid in shape and had a consistent shade of yellow throughout its surface. I have seen them grow and I know that is not how they grow.

Firstly, a papaya that small does not get ripe and even if it does, it has different shades of yellow, orange and green throughout. Fruits are taken off from the trees before they ripen and chemicals like calcium carbide are used in many countries to ripen the fruits artificially. Consuming such fruit and expecting the health benefits of naturally grown fresh fruit is simply unfair.

Though some artificial ripening methods are banned in most countries, there are still ways that make it impossible for us to get the nutritious food items that we need. We often consume these adulterated fruits and vegetables and suffer from reactions like digestion problems, sensitive stomach, gastric irritations and even food poisoning. Though food adulteration and genetic modification is a big industry, we can take small steps towards our health by buying wisely.

Looks are deceptive. Remember this even while buying your groceries. Look for labels that say organically produced. Avoid GM items and buy only what looks natural to you. You might have to change your store for this. Pay a little more today and it will save you from paying a lot more in future.  

Loved this post? To keep yourself updated with my latest posts follow me here.

Don't forget to vote for me and leave a comment. I love starting conversations!

Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net