"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.
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Vote #4! Thanks for the info! Papaya does not grow locally in southern Alabama, but I visit the farmer's market during the summer months and buy fruits and veggies locally as much as possible. Just fried some green tomatoes that came from the local farmer's market. I also bought some ripe tomatoes, watermelon, plums and a cantelope this week. I bought some squash last week for a wonderful squash casserole. The selection and prices vary according to which farmers show up and what fruits or veggies are ready in the field.
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Some of the newer contributors to The Flaming Vegan may not know Akanksha. She introduced me to The Flaming Vegan and was a friend from Jason's previous site Goodblogs; however, due to a wedding and planning for the wedding, Akanksha has not been blogging recently.
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Thank you so much for the great introduction Carolyn :) Hi to all the newer contributors..hope you enjoy my posts..I'll be catching up on the latest posts one by one..
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local farmers markets are the best places while shopping for authentic items. You can also search on ewg.org for a list of organic growers in America in case you have to buy from a store.
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Vote no 6. Yes, this is great advice Akanksha: I have been reading about this lately, that food that is produced to appeal visually to consumers is often not at all healthy. Like good-looking men, you have to be very wary of good-looking food, lol! You may like to look at my recent post For Life, Love and Liberty! and if you like it, please vote.
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Thanks for your vote and comment Veganara. I will read your post too.
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Awesome post and some true hard facts. I'm always asked, "Isn't eating organic so expensive?" and my response is always, "I save on my families and my health, because our health is priceless." Kinda goes with your quote, "Pay a little more today and it will save you from paying a lot more in future." -you got my vote and I will share! :)
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So true..I have seen families not spending enough on good quality nutrition and spending the same amount eating out at expensive restaurants..feel sad for them when they catch diseases - big and small.. Thanks for the vote and share :) We have recently started to switch to organic grocery items that are priced 20% to 50% more. That is the cost we pay upfront because we know that the hidden cost of not consuming it could be far beyond what we can afford.
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Oh how true (and sad) this is! Voted...
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Thanks Sheila!
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You pay more with both your health and income. Hard facts and very good blog. Voted.
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Thanks for reading Susan :)
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I agree with everyone's comments! I went to my local organic grocery store yesterday and looked for the "ugliest" heirloom tomato I could find! It looks a lot more like the ones I pick from my garden :) Voted! Check out my fresh salsa recipe and vote if you like.
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great article! i completely agree, the taste of non-organic grocery store strawberries compared to the taste of the tiny mishapen beauties from our local farmer's market is unbelievable! they are big, tough, flavorless wonders. one thing i love about 'real fruit' is the texture, soft and pliable for berries, just seem to melt in your mouth. the store bought ones are tough as nails! thanks for posting this! voted!
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Congrats for making Top Posts!