Are Fruits & Veggies Really Delivering Enough Nutrients?
They stare at you from packed shelves in the grocery store and scream buy me with their bright shiny reds, glossy greens and mellow yellows but these fresh fruits and veggies have lost some of their nutritional punch!
Fruit Nutrients - Vegetable Nutrients
Our grocery stores are always well stocked with a good looking selection of fruits and vegetables but today the individual nutritional value of these once more powerful products are not what they used to be.
Less than 50 years ago, an apple was just an apple and a broccoli just a broccoli but according to recent analysis1, they've lost some of the nutritional punch they once had. Over-farming the soils in which they are grown has leached most of the natural minerals and nutrients out of the soil leaving little to promote natural growth.
In fact, growing produce in the same soils year after year would be impossible without modern chemistry. Note: Organic produce has not suffered the same fate at all.
A look at USDA and Health Canada foods guides of today vs. 40-50 years ago provides an insight into the nutrient decline and reinforces the need to top up our fresh food selections to the recommended 10 servings/day, or more.
Today's Fruit And Vegetable Nutrient Levels
DR. Tim Lang, a professor at the Centre for Food Policy in London, England said. "We think of an orange as a constant, but the reality is it isn't."
"In fact, you would have to eat eight oranges today to get the same amount of vitamin A your grandparents got from a single orange. And you would need to eat five to get the same level of iron"
The analysis1 examined food tables that were prepared by government researchers in 1951, 1972 and 1999, comparing the nutrients available from 100 grams samples.
In the USA, UK and Canada the results were almost identical. The U.K. research was published in the British Food Journal, a peer-reviewed, scientific publication and according to the reports data on nutritional comparisons:
- 80% of foods tested showed a substantial drop in Calcium and Iron
- 75% had a large drop in Vitamin A
- 50% lost considerable Vitamin C and Riboflavin
- 33% lost thiamine and 12% lost niacin
What About My Apples and Broccoli?
In the analysis, the biggest loser was broccoli, a food that epitomizes healthy eating. All seven of its measurable nutrients showed a massive drop, notably calcium which fell 63% and iron which dropped 34%. It's often cited as a big source of calcium and iron.
Other examples indicate the amount of vitamin C in sweet peppers has decreased 24% and vitamin A in apples has dropped by 41% according to USDA 1961 vs. 2001 data.
What Can A Person Do
Most people know they should be eating a nutrient rich diet but over 65% of people in North America do not even get the recommended minimum of 5 servings a day. Complicating this situation are the many nutrient poor foods (manufactured, processed and fast-foods) that have been introduced over the past 50 years.
These "foods" are substances our body does not really recognize as foods because we were not biologically engineered or wired for them. Worse! These "foods" are so well marketed that a majority of people now consider them food!
The simple answer is to feed the body what it has always known and thrived on for virtually as long as we have been here on this planet. The practical answer is to take personal control of our diets and ensure they contain at least the "average" 10 servings of fresh veggies/fruits each and every day and opt for organics whenever possible.
Given our lifestyles today often impede our ability to eat perfectly well 3 times a day, good quality nutritional supplementation can play a vital role in delivering essential nutrients to the body thus filling in those nutritional gaps. Tip: pack your own lunch!
Top 10 Reason To Take Nutritional Supplements
The evidence in favor of supplements is strong and strengthening every day. If we can't or simply don't eat enough nutrient dense foods to fuel our body, the body will become weakened, exhibit symptoms like fatigue, headaches, pain, constipation, dull hair, poor skin or more developed conditions such as Type II Diabetes or heart disease
The conveniences of our high quality supplements have never been better.
- Compensates for poor quality such as white breads, refined sugars, luncheon meats, microwaved dinners, processed foods and fast-foods
- Fills in the gaps on better diets when a meal is skipped or when resorting to a fast-food emergency
- Optimizes nutrition by strengthening a good 80/20 diet with supporting vitamins, minerals and micro-nutrients
- Free Radical Defense that strengthen the immune system and counteract cell damage
- DNA repair by assisting the body with micro-nutrients that support the bio-chemical DNA healing processes that mitigate the risks of cancer
- Neutralize environmental threats from daily exposure to urban smog, chemicals (including those in foods) and psychological stresses
- Slow The Aging Process by minimizing free radicals and counteract the threats of degenerative diseases
- Improve your mood by balancing the glandular system that also promotes restful sleep
- Increase energy levels to counteract inclinations to fatigue by helping the bodies chemical processes to produce more consistent and available energy
- Address illness by helping the body to regain its normal operating efficiencies during times of weakened function
The medical profession will often say you can get all your nutrients from a balanced diet, e.g the food guide, but the concept is based on averages and precludes the fact that people are individuals with individual needs.
It also fails to take into account that a majority of people today, for whatever reason, are simply not getting adequate nutrition through a balanced diet and this is where supplementation can be of tremendous value and contribute to long-term well-being.
NSP Daily Nutritional Supplements That Help
Spirulina (681-1) $27.86/100 caps. 65% - 71% complete protein vs. beef’s 22% protein. A good source of eight amino acids, chelated minerals, natural plant sugars, trace minerals and enzymes, in an easily assimilated form. Fact sheet...
Liquid Chlorophyll (1689-6) $29.29/948ml Our tasty magnesium-rich chlorophyll comes from the alfalfa plant long known for its excellent nutrient potential. Counteracts toxins in blood, promotes energy, improves digestion, and more... Fact sheet...
Zambroza (4104-1) $40.36/458ml Xanthones, bioflavonoids and powerful antioxidants feature in this delicious daily supplement that builds the immune system, enhances vitamin C absorption and helps maintain collagen and capillary walls. Fact sheet...
Fall Cleansing - Tiao He Body 10-Day Body Cleanse Kit (4005-7) $42.84 A seasonal cleanse helps the body achieve and maintain balance and harmony. The Tiao He Cleanse is designed to support the mechanisms of the body by targeting the intestinal, digestive and circulatory systems. Gentle/safe/natural. Fact sheet ...
Our natural health consulting services can provide you with a simple to follow plan focused exclusively on your individual needs. No calories to count and no hunger pangs, just a solid nutritional approach to achieving your long-term health goals.
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(C) Copyright 1994-2008 Diane McLaren
Diane is a co-author with Anthony Robbins, Wayne Dyer and others in a best
selling Wake Up ... Love The Life You Live book and creator and author of the
recently published BODiWELL
Health System.
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